Officers Kick Down Apartment Door To Rescue Screaming Woman From Baseball Bat Attack

Police officers kicked down an apartment door early Tuesday morning, October 13, after hearing a woman screaming for help inside.

Body camera footage released by the Mount Pleasant Police Department shows officers forcing their way into the apartment on Anna Knapp Boulevard and pulling a man off the woman as she cries out, “Oh, get him!” The suspect tells officers “Okay” and “I’m not fighting” as they order him to put his hands behind his back.

According to police, the victim called 911 at 2:40 a.m., and officers could hear her screaming when they arrived. They found the suspect, Geoffrey Gugel, on top of her and arrested him at the scene. A metal baseball bat was found in the room.

The woman told officers that Gugel punched her in the head and face, struck her in the head with the bat and choked her, police said.

Gugel was taken to the Al Cannon Detention Center and charged with domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature. The department released the footage during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, urging anyone in a violent relationship to contact its Victim Services unit or dial 911 in an emergency.