Priest River man charged in strangling case

SANDPOINT — A Priest River man is facing a handful of assault-related charges stemming from an alleged Dec. 29, 2024, assault.  

Darius Slaughter was arraigned on four misdemeanors and a felony charge in First District Court on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Slaughter pled not guilty to the five charges.   

According to court records, Slaughter, 29, is charged with felony attempted strangulation in the presence of a child, misdemeanor false impersonation to a law enforcement officer, misdemeanor false imprisonment, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor injury to child. 

During the evening of Dec. 29, Slaughter allegedly got into a verbal altercation with the victim, leading to a strangulation attempt, according to court records. According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim’s minor children were at the scene, with one witnessing the alleged strangulation.   

After freeing herself, the victim called her aunt to help with the situation, according to the affidavit. When the victim’s aunt and cousin arrived to help, they were allegedly struck in the face by Slaughter. In an attempt at self-defense, the victim’s aunt allegedly struck Slaughter with a baseball bat before police arrived on the scene, according to the court records. 

Slaughter could face up to a total of almost 33 years in jail and a potential $108,000 fine. A jury trial is set for Slaughter on April 15, with a pre-trial date set on May 14.