Alleged death threats produce charges for Oak Harbor man

A 44-year-old Oak Harbor man is accused of threatening to kill his girlfriend and her children, court documents state.

Prosecutors charged John Coleman in Island County Superior Court Aug. 3 with two counts of harassment (threats to kill) and one count of assault in the fourth degree. The charges were all filed as domestic violence-related.

The report by Oak Harbor Police Officer Jim Hoagland describes a night of terror for a woman and her two kids at their Oak Harbor home on July 31.

The alleged victim told the officer that Coleman was high on drugs and was in a violent mood. She said the trouble started when Coleman was looking up machetes on the computer and told one of the children that he was “going to chop them all up,” Hoagland wrote.

Coleman then grabbed the woman by the throat and pushed her into the wall, the police report states. As a result, she took the kids and left for a few hours, but returned that night. She said Coleman was looking at an image of a woman with her throat cut on their large TV screen and got upset when she returned.

After a neighbor woman came by to help the family, Coleman allegedly assault his girlfriend again in front of the other woman and threatened to kill everyone, the report indicates.

The alleged victim managed to leave with her children and went to the neighbor’s apartment. Coleman followed them, banged on the door and again threatened to kill his girlfriend, the report states.

Coleman allegedly said that he could kill her and get away with it since he had done it before. He said he killed a woman and got away for “lack of evidence,” Hoagland’s report states.

According to court documents, Coleman was charged with attempted murder in California in 1995, but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence.

If convicted of the charges against him, Coleman could face up to 364 days in jail under the standard sentencing range.

 

Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.