Elementary school principal chokes wife in argument over dogs’ food, Kentucky cops say
An elementary school principal is accused of choking his wife at their east Kentucky home, police say.
James Keith Isaac, 44, and his wife were arguing about feeding their dogs Monday, Feb. 12, when things turned violent, according to an arrest report from the Magoffin County Sheriff’s Department.
Isaac was charged with domestic violence and first-degree strangulation, authorities said. He’s listed as the principal at North Magoffin Elementary School, according to the school’s website.
Deputies were called to the couple’s Salyersville home just after 7:30 p.m., the report said. There they met Isaac’s wife, who told them “her husband had strangled her,” so she locked herself in a room.
Deputies said they noticed red marks on the woman’s neck.
Isaac’s wife said her husband slapped her cellphone from her hands during the argument and then wrapped both of his hands around her neck, choking her, deputies said.
Deputies found Isaac in the basement with multiple weapons — including a .45-caliber handgun and a hunting knife — lying nearby, according to the report.
Isaac denied putting his hands on his wife but told authorities their dispute “had been brewing for a long time,” according to the report.
He was booked into jail on a $1,000 cash bond, Magoffin County court records show. An emergency order of protection was also requested Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Magoffin County Schools Superintendent Chris Meadows confirmed in an emailed statement to McClatchy News that Isaac has been suspended pending an investigation.
Salyersville is about 100 miles southeast of downtown Lexington.
This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Elementary school principal chokes wife in argument over dogs’ food, Kentucky cops say."