ML man sentenced for assaulting woman

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man with a history of domestic violence was sentenced for holding a woman down on the ground and placing his hands over her mouth and nose.

Jason Johannsen, 39, of Moses Lake, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault (domestic violence) in Grant County Superior Court. Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz followed a joint recommendation between Deputy Prosecutor Kevin McCrae and defense attorney Michael Morgan and sentenced Johannsen to three months in jail.

On Oct. 7 MACC Dispatch received a report of a man, Johannsen, slamming a woman’s head into the dashboard of a vehicle near Road I Northeast and Harris Road Northeast, in rural Moses Lake. The reporting party followed the vehicle to a residence in the 8900 block of Travis Drive Northeast and remained down the street until a deputy arrived. The deputy who responded to the scene reporting hearing a woman scream for help from inside the Travis Drive residence, according to police records.

“I informed dispatch I was making entry into the residence and entered with my firearm drawn. When I made entry I could see a male standing over the top of a female who immediately stood up upon my entry,” wrote the deputy. “I issued multiple commands for the male later identified as Jason Johannsen to show me his hands and get on the ground. Jason Johannsen continued to stand and did not comply with commands.”

The deputy deployed his Taser and Johannsen was taken into custody without further incident. The victim in the incident stated she was in a car with Johannsen when they started arguing “over other females” and he pushed her head up against the passenger-side window. She said Johannsen grabbed the back of her hair and was holding her down toward the floorboard.

“After we had gotten home I went inside to grab my things and leave, but Jason stopped me. Jason was yelling and calling me names when he grabbed me and threw me across the room. I hit the wall and fell to the ground,” the victim claimed. “I then got off the ground and Jason pushed me against the wall next to the bedroom door for a second time. Jason grabbed me at that point and threw me on the floor.”

The victim said Johannsen continued holding her down and covered her mouth and nose until the deputy came into the house and tased him. She claimed Johannsen had beaten her several times in the past, but the incidents had gone unreported. The deputy was advised that Johansson has a history of domestic violence and had previously gone to prison for a domestic violence-related incident.

Johannsen claimed he was defending himself and the victim pinched his inner thigh, which was why he grabbed her hair in the car. He said he was holding the woman down to keep her from hitting him and at some point during the altercation the victim bit his right shoulder.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.