The wife of Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman said Wednesday her husband did not intentionally hurt her, and said she does not wish to pursue a criminal prosecution.
Bateman, who has been the sheriff in Anne Arundel County since 2006, was charged with second-degree assault Sunday night following a call for a domestic dispute at the Bateman residence.
His wife then told police her husband had hit her in the face.
On Wednesday, she said her husband did not punch, hit or kick her. Below is her statement in full, sent to news media through her attorney.
I would like to clarify what occurred between my husband and I on April 10, 2016 as some of the information that has been released and reported has not been accurate, and may be the result of some misinterpretations. Ron was at an event with some friends. I was out to dinner with my son. I had not been drinking. When I came home at about 6:30, Ron was here alone. He was upstairs, and came downstairs. He appeared agitated, and told me he wanted me to leave the house. Initially I refused. He went back upstairs, and I followed him into the master bedroom. We began to argue like alot of married couples do from time to time.At no point in the argument did Ron punch or hit or kick me. He did not intentionally hurt me. No one is perfect, or has a perfect marriage or relationship. I did not obtain a Protective Order because I am not afraid of Ron, and do not need one. I do not believe anything that occurred between us is criminal, and was nothing more than a heated argument between a husband and a wife. I do not wish to pursue a criminal prosecution.This is the only public statement I intend to make regarding this incident. I did not appear at the press conference with Ron yesterday because I felt it was more important to be available to my children, and shelter them from the media. It is my desire that Ron and I alone deal with this privately, and that people stop making statements and comments about things they do not fully know or understand. They are hurtful to me and my family - especially my children. I would ask that everyone respect our privacy, and stop calling me and asking me questions. Thank you.
