ROCKINGHAM — Three members of a family are facing charges after a deputy was injured investigating a reported disturbance at a church.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to an unnamed Rockingham church on Sunday in response to a call that a man had gone inside, tried to cause a disturbance and threatened security staff.
No details are given of the alleged disturbance.
A security guard pointed out to deputies that the man, 41-year-old Arthur Glenn Ingram Jr., of Ellerbe, was still in the parking lot, sitting in a vehicle, according to a press release.
(Note: The press release gives his age as 40, while Richmond County Jail records list him as 41.)
When deputies went over to speak with Ingram, the defendant reportedly refused to roll down his window or open his door.
The security guard reportedly told deputies the church wanted to press charges and when deputies told Ingram he was going to be placed under arrest on threat and trespassing charges, he allegedly still refused to get out or roll down the window.
One of the deputies reportedly broke a window and Ingram allegedly shifted the car into drive and tried to leave, nearly hitting several deputies. One of the deputies reportedly crawled in through the broken window to keep Ingram from driving off.
That deputy was reportedly injured and taken to the emergency room and was later treated and released.
Ingram was eventually removed from the car and arrested, according to the press release.
It was then that his parents, who had allegedly been previously asked to leave by church officials, began “interfering with the deputies.”
They were also both arrested.
Arthur Ingram Jr. was charged with: two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a government official; one felony count each of assault on a law enforcement, probation or parole officer with serious injury, and communicating a threat of mass violence at a place of religious worship; and one misdemeanor count each of communicating threats and second-degree trespassing.
His father and mother, 65-year-old Arthur Glenn Ingram Sr. and 66-year-old Elizabeth Ingram, both of Ellerbe, are each charged with one misdemeanor count of resisting a public officer, failure to disperse on command, disorderly conduct and second-degree trespassing.
Arthur Ingram Jr. is currently the only one in jail and is being held on a combined $101,000 secured bond.
They are scheduled to appear in court July 7.
Arthur Ingram Jr. has no prior convictions in the state, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
(Note: There appears to be another Arthur Glenn Ingram Jr. in Richmond County with a different date of birth who does have several prior convictions.)
Arthur Ingram Sr. was incarcerated for 14 months in 1980-81 when his probation was revoked on a 1977 conviction of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to inflict serious injury. He also spent nearly six months behind bars in 1984 for a “Non-support” conviction.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
