Rice Man Found Mentally Incompetent to Face Assault Charges

FOLEY (WJON News) -- A Rice man who is charged with felony assault after allegedly brandishing a gun during an argument with his girlfriend has been found mentally incompetent to face the charges.

The Benton County Sheriff's Office was called to a home in the 11000 block of Highway 10 Northwest in Watab Township just after 3:30 a.m. in December 2023. A witness called 911 to report an assault at that location.

Deputies arrived to find the suspect, 43-year-old Benjamin Nelson, had left the scene in his pickup.

The officers found a female victim at the scene who was shaken and visibly upset. The woman told authorities that Nelson had been calling her phone repeatedly earlier in the day and came home angry and screaming.

The witness said she heard Nelson and the victim arguing when Nelson flipped over a bed and then went into the kitchen and grabbed a handgun. She told authorities Nelson cocked the gun and went into the bedroom where the victim was.

The sheriff's office found Nelson in Morrison County about an hour later. Court records show Nelson admitted to arguing with the woman grabbing a handgun and showing it to her. He said he did that to show the victim he wasn't suicidal.

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The victim said she didn't know what Nelson would do because he was screaming and not settling down

Search warrants were used to search Nelson's pickup which turned up two other guns. Police say the gun used during the incident was ultimately found inside the home.

Nelson was subsequently charged with attempted 2nd-degree assault and violation of a domestic abuse no-contact order weeks later. In that incident, Nelson is accused of using his vehicle to cut off the victim on the road and trying to ram it by reversing his vehicle into hers and approaching her vehicle. The complaint alleges the victim was forced to back away and drive into a nearby driveway to escape.

All of the charges are on hold indefinitely until Nelson can be restored to competency to aid in his defense.