Man makes a ruckus at Linton treatment center

An Evansville man, recently being treated at a Linton rehab facility, is facing charges of Level 6 felony intimidation with a deadly weapon, Class A misdemeanor battery resulting in bodily injury and Class B misdemeanor battery after an altercation at the facility got out of hand on August 5.

Linton Police Officer Nathanael Kilgore was dispatched to the scene on the morning of August 5.

According to Kilgore’s probable cause affidavit, the call to dispatch was about a male client who was being unruly and belligerent while yelling.

Upon arrival, Kilgore and Linton Police Officer Davis Aerne observed a male subject standing outside the front door of the facility, banging on the locked door and yelling.

The officers walked the subject away from the door to speak to him. The subject identified himself as Clayton Chitwood and said he was upset that he was not allowed to leave the center. He told the officers the staff was trying to get him taken back to jail.

Kilgore reported he went inside the facility to speak with staff, who told him Chitwood had struck two people there.

Speaking with the first victim, Kilgore was told Victim 1 heard some shouting while in the bathroom. Leaving the bathroom to see what was going on, the victim told Kilgore they observed Chitwood yelling at staff members. Victim 1 reported stepping in to make sure Chitwood did not hurt anyone, and receiving an open-handed slap to the left side of the head. Victim 1 told Kilgore on a scale of one to ten, their pain level was about a two.

Kilgore then spoke to the second victim. Victim 2 stated he was in line to go outside to smoke and heard Chitwood yelling “shut up,” at the staff. Victim 2 also attempted to intervene and was struck on the left side of the face with an open-handed slap. Victim 2 reported a pain level of nine out of ten.

Kilgore took photos of both victim’s injuries.

A third victim, a staff member at the facility, told Kilgore of hearing Chitwood yelling. Victim 3 said they tried to deescalate the situation by separating Chitwood from other clients. Chitwood allegedly responded by calling Victim 3 obscene names and yelling threats.

Chitwood then reportedly picked up a blue metal stool, approximately 30 inches tall, “grabbing it in a threatening manner” and telling Victim 3 he would “(expletive) kill (them) when they crossed his name on a list”.

Victim 3 told Kilgore that Chitwood threatened physical violence several times during the encounter, and said they had witnessed Chitwood striking Victim 1.

After taking more pictures and reviewing video of the incident, the officers went back outside to speak to Chitwood.

Kilgore read Chitwood his Miranda rights, which Chitwood waived, agreeing to speak with the officers.

Chitwood told the officers he saw someone yell at the staff and was trying to calm the situation down. He allegedly said he got defensive, pushing Victim 2 and “making contact with his face”.

Denying having purposely struck anyone in the face, Chitwood later admitted to striking one victim in the face intentionally.

Chitwood was transported to the Greene County Jail and processed in on the aforementioned charges.

His bond was set at $11,500 with 10% allowed. An initial hearing was conducted August 8.

All persons are considered to be innocent until they are proven guilty in a court of law.