Arkansas State Representative Austin McCollum resigned from office Wednesday following his Saturday arrest on suspicion of domestic assault and battery against his wife. McCollum, 35, a Republican candidate for Benton County judge, stepped down after nearly 10 years representing House District 8.
His wife, Ragen McCollum, 34, detailed the alleged abuse in a protection order petition filed Wednesday in county circuit court. She stated that the couple was returning from a wedding on Saturday when her husband got mad and began throwing objects at her, including shoes, a deodorant bottle, and a metal hanger.
According to the petition, McCollum blocked the bedroom door to prevent her from leaving by sitting or standing in front of it. He then threw her face down on the bed, placed both knees and his full body weight on her back, and slid his right knee to the back of her neck, pushing her face into the mattress so she could not breathe.
After mocking her, McCollum allegedly slammed the door on her hand multiple times when she tried to open it. Ragen McCollum stated that he then punched her multiple times as she begged him to let her go.
"There was blood everywhere and I couldn't see. He grabbed my hair and slammed my head to the ground multiple times," she wrote in the petition. She added that he continued attacking her as she crawled to the door before finally telling her to shower and clean up so he could help stop the bleeding.
She then ran downstairs to find her grandmother and yelled for someone to call 911. Police officers who arrived at the home reported finding McCollum intoxicated, with blood on his legs and arms, and knuckle injuries consistent with repeatedly punching someone.
Arrest Details and Protection Order
McCollum was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault on a family or household member, first-degree false imprisonment, and misdemeanor domestic battery. He refused to give police a statement and has not been formally charged, but he was released Sunday on a $10,000 bond.
The county court granted Ragen McCollum an order of protection. A hearing on the restraint order is set for August 25 in county court, with McCollum scheduled for arraignment on September 8.
The court filing documented several other alleged incidents of domestic violence. Ragen McCollum claimed her husband previously pushed her down a flight of stairs when she tried to leave a room, put her in headlocks, choked her to the point of being unable to breathe, and dragged her by her hair from one room to another.
Allegations of Prior Violent Incidents
In another documented incident, Ragen McCollum stated that her husband yelled at her in their car during a drive home. After she exited the vehicle and slammed the door, he allegedly drove the car forward into her while their two children slept inside. She threw her cellphone at the windshield out of fear, and her four-year-old son later asked why his father had tried to hit her.
She also testified that she once broke her hand trying to punch McCollum in self-defense. She stated that he threatened her not to speak out by saying he was "building a case against me" and that she would "never see my children."
Calls for Resignation and Political Response
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Senator Tom Cotton were among those calling on McCollum to resign. McCollum announced his resignation in a letter published Wednesday by The Arkansas Advocate.
"As I focus on my family, I do not intend to fulfill the remainder of my House term," McCollum wrote. "I am thankful to the people of House District 8 for the honor of serving all of Arkansas these past nearly 10 years."
McCollum has not yet confirmed whether he will drop out of the Benton County judge race. The Daily Mail reached out to Austin McCollum's attorney for comment.
