Woman Charged With Bat Assault and Threats in Clearwater County

A woman grabbed a bat and tried to bite another woman inside a trailer, then grabbed her waistband as if reaching for a gun, according to a complaint filed in Clearwater County.

Shirley Faye Dukek, 76, faces charges of second-degree assault and threats of violence, according to a complaint filed October 14 in Clearwater County District Court.

According to the complaint, a deputy with the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a disturbance at about 2:04 p.m. on October 7 near 185th Avenue and 380th Street. The deputy spoke with the victim, who said she had gone to a trailer to pack her belongings. She was breaking up with a man who lived there, and he became angry, grabbed her by the collar several times and called Dukek to the trailer, the complaint states.

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The victim and a witness told the deputy that Dukek arrived, cornered the victim in the back of the trailer, grabbed a bat and attempted to bite the victim in the shoulder. The victim said Dukek tried to hit her with the bat. The witness said that after the man yelled for Dukek to “shoot ‘em all,” she grabbed her waistband as if reaching for a gun. The victim and the witness fled the area before seeing if Dukek actually had a firearm.

The victim told the deputy she was in fear during the incident and reported a bruised knee, which was photographed by law enforcement. The victim also stated that this was not the first time the man had harmed her.

When the deputy arrived at the property, Dukek was seen standing in the driveway holding a knife in a defensive posture. The deputy ordered Dukek to drop the knife several times before she eventually complied. Dukek told the deputy she had been called to the trailer and admitted that she somehow gained control of the bat, which the victim had been holding. Dukek was arrested but later released.