New battery, assault charges filed against local man
A local man with a history of domestic abuse charges is facing new battery and assault charges after allegedly threatening to kill his girlfriend with a knife and briefly fleeing from a Garland County sheriff’s deputy late Monday.
Terrance Darnell Culclager, 40, who lists a Grandstaff Drive address, was taken into custody shortly after 11:30 p.m. and charged with felony counts of second-degree domestic battery and aggravated assault on a family or household member, each punishable by up to six years in prison, and a misdemeanor count of fleeing in a vehicle.
Culclager remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of zero bond and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly before 11:30 p.m., sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Hampton was dispatched to the Grandstaff Drive residence regarding a domestic disturbance involving a knife.
Prior to his arrival, the victim, 31, told dispatchers her boyfriend, identified as Culclager, had threatened to kill her with a knife and left the house in a white Ford F-250 pickup truck last seen turning onto Highway 290 headed toward Central Avenue.
Hampton spotted the vehicle in the 3800 block of Highway 290 “traveling at a high rate of speed” toward Central and turned around to make a traffic stop. He said he activated his lights at the intersection of Highway 290 and Rachel Carson Terrace, but Culclager refused to stop and accelerated toward Central.
Hampton activated his siren as Culclager continued westbound “at speeds over 80 miles per hour” and then turned onto Red Oak Cutoff where he continued to evade the deputy.
Finally, Culclager pulled the truck over in the 500 block of Red Oak and opened the driver’s door. Hampton ordered Culclager to the ground and he complied.
While waiting for other units to arrive, Culclager reportedly asked, “What did you stop me for? Speeding?” and Hampton told him they would “go over that’ once Hampton had some backup.
Arkansas State Police troopers arrived to assist and Culclager was taken into custody without incident. Culclager reportedly made a spontaneous statement that “my girl and I got into an argument and I just left,” even though he had not been questioned about the earlier incident.
The victim later stated Culclager had been sleeping, but woke up and began yelling at her “regarding financial issues.” She said at one point he picked up a “white-handled knife” and came at her saying, “I will (expletive) kill you tonight.”
She said he also threw glass candles at her and struck her in the abdomen with a piece of firewood.
According to court records, on March 10, 2011, in Jefferson County, Culclager was convicted of second-degree domestic battery, first-degree criminal mischief and terroristic threatening and sentenced to five years in prison, with the entire sentence suspended. On June 1, 2015, he was arrested again in Jefferson County on three counts of aggravated assault and three counts of terroristic threatening, all felonies involving the same victim as Monday, but the charges were withdrawn at the victim’s request on Oct. 26, 2015.
On Nov. 7, 2019, Culclager allegedly assault the same victim again in Garland County and a warrant was issued. He was arrested on Oct. 15, 2020, on a misdemeanor count of third-degree domestic battery and later released on a $1,000 bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charge on Nov. 3, 2020, and the charge was withdrawn on Jan. 28 after the victim failed to appear for two court hearings.