A Virginia man admitted tying his wife to a chair in the basement for 45 minutes so he could watch football upstairs, police say

Terry Ward, a 64-year-old man from Richmond, Virginia, faces felony abduction and misdemeanor assault charges after police say he taped his wife to a chair in their basement to watch football. The arrest took place following a domestic disturbance call that brought law enforcement to a home on the 2200 block of Maplewood Avenue.

As reported by Dexerto, according to the criminal complaint, officers spoke with the man’s wife at the home, where she reported being restrained in the basement. She told police she was kept there for between 30 and 45 minutes. When officers examined her, they found marks on her arms consistent with being taped to a chair.

It turns out Ward reportedly did not deny the events when questioned by authorities. The responding officer documented an admission from the man in the official report. “Ward Terry stated that he did indeed tied his wife, [name omitted], to a chair and place her down in the basement,” the officer wrote. While she was held in the basement, Ward reportedly spent that time upstairs watching football.

He can face up to 10 years in prison

The legal consequences for these actions are significant. The felony abduction charge carries a potential penalty of at least 12 months in prison and a fine of $2,500. If a judge decides to prosecute to the full extent allowed, that prison sentence could grow by as much as 10 years. The misdemeanor assault charge carries its own set of penalties, which include up to a year in jail and another $2,500 fine.

Court records indicate that Ward is scheduled for his next appearance soon in the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, as Virginia Statewide Incidents reports. The combination of felony and misdemeanor counts reflects the gravity of the allegations against Ward. 

For now, the community and those following the case are waiting for the next steps in the legal process to unfold at the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. It remains a strange and troubling story that highlights the importance of domestic safety.