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Local man charged with battery
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Officers from the Covington Police Department were called to a home late Friday night after calls came in about a domestic dispute.

According to reports, when officers arrived they found a woman there who allegedly told them her husband, identified as Edward Summerlin, had beat her up.

The woman reportedly told officers that the two had been laying in bed and arguing about her medication when Edward allegedly told her he didn’t like her taking it because it made her have "a stupid look on her face." He then reportedly told her "You better love me or you’ll have consequences." She reportedly told officers that after making this statement Edward began punching her in the side of the head while trying to take her clothes off.

According to reports, the woman ran from the bedroom into the kitchen of the home and her husband followed her. She reportedly told officers she was standing at the sink when her husband grabbed her by the throat and began to shake her.

She said to officers that she attempted to get to her cell phone but that Edward took the phone from her and punched her again. He then allegedly left the home.

Officers then headed to Rockdale Medical Center where Edward was being treated. He reportedly told the officers that they were in bed arguing about cell phones they had bought for her children and his wife was upset that information from the old cell phones had not been transferred to the new ones.

He allegedly informed the officers that he told his wife if the phones did not start working correctly within the next day he was going to send the cell phones back. Summerlin allegedly told officers that he was in the kitchen of the home getting ready to leave when he felt a dull pain in his back. He reportedly told the officers that when he felt this pain he turned around and hit his wife in the throat then ran out the door. He also allegedly told the officers his wife had broken his nose.

The woman, however, allegedly told officers that her husband would often hit her then leave and call the authorities. She also allegedly told officers that he had been known to inflict wounds on himself to make it appear she had attacked him.

After listening to both sides of the story, officers believed the woman’s story matched the evidence and the wounds on Summerlin’s back appeared to be old and were more slices than stabs, which could be self inflicted. There was only a small cut on the top of his nose that appeared fresh.

Summerlin was charged with battery under the Family Violence Act.