Several deputies responded to assist the Lyons Town Marshal after a threat was reported. No charges came about in relation to the alleged threat, but a Switz City man was in court this week, accused of driving with a BAC over .15.

Matthew E. Murphy, 44, Switz City, appeared in Greene Superior Court this week for an initial hearing and was formally charged with:

Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, and
Operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more a Class A misdemeanor.

Murphy was arrested late Sunday, July 28, by Deputy David Elmore of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. Murphy’s bond was set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $400 cash and was released the next day.

Earlier in the evening on that Sunday, Lyons Town Marshal Andrew Hamilton had received information about alleged threats being made by Murphy to a family member. Murphy had allegedly been into a “tussle” with a family member and threatened another family member at a cabin near Bloomfield.

Officer Hamilton contacted the sheriff’s department and Deputies Elmore, Zachary Goad and Camron Frye responded to assist.

At that time, those involved in the disagreement had all left the cabin and gone home when Officer Hamilton received information that Murphy was on his way from Switz City to Lyons to finish what had been started earlier. The family member later said he did not want to press charges against Murphy.

Deputy Elmore, the investigating officer, reported the deputies were able to locate Murphy, behind the wheel of his truck. Murphy allegedly showed signs of intoxication and admitted he had driven his truck from the cabin to his home.

Elmore reported that Murphy said they had him “dead to rights” on OVWI and he knew he had made a bad decision. However, Murphy allegedly said he had taken the back roads and he asked Deputy Elmore to just let him go inside his home and sleep it off.

That request was apparently denied because Murphy was transported to the sheriff’s department where a certified chemical test showed he had an alcohol concentration of .19, according to Elmore. The legal limit .08.