A 36-year-old Topeka man was charged Thursday with aggravated battery, aggravated assault and interference with law enforcement after allegedly pistol-whipping his girlfriend and resisting arrest in Lawrence Wednesday night.

Juma Jelani Wright

Lawrence police arrested Juma Jelani Wright after responding to a report of a domestic dispute with weapons near Second Street and McDonald Drive around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, police spokesman Sgt. Trent McKinley said.

Police believe the incident began when Wright and a woman began arguing while driving on W. Fourth Street toward McDonald Drive, McKinley said. The woman told police that Wright began striking her with his hand, and when she stopped the vehicle near Fourth Street and McDonald Drive, Wright threatened to shoot her with his handgun.

The woman began driving toward Interstate 70, but Wright struck her again, McKinley said. She then pulled over in the 100 block of McDonald Drive to try to get out of the vehicle.

The woman told police that’s when Wright grabbed for her clothing to try to keep her in the vehicle and “allegedly struck her in the head with the butt of the handgun,” McKinley said.

The woman eventually escaped with the vehicle’s keys and ran south on McDonald Drive, where officers found her “with visible head injuries,” McKinley said. She was taken by ambulance to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment, McKinley said, and was later released.

Officers found Wright, who still had the firearm, inside the parked vehicle on McDonald Drive, McKinley said. For about 25 minutes, police “attempted to negotiate with the suspect to exit the vehicle on his own,” McKinley said. He allegedly refused to unlock the door, so officers approached the vehicle with a ballistic shield, broke one of the windows and extracted and arrested Wright.

The police standoff caused access to I-70 on McDonald Drive to close for about 30 minutes Wednesday night, McKinley said.

Assistant Douglas County District Attorney Katy Britton asked Douglas County Judge Pro Tem James George to set bond at $75,000 because Wright has an extensive violent criminal history, including multiple domestic battery convictions and a conviction of battery on a law enforcement officer. Wright is also wanted on a warrant out of Shawnee County on domestic battery charges involving the same woman involved in the Lawrence incident.

Wright denied his guilt when George asked if there was anything he wanted to say in an attempt to have his bond lowered.

“Those charges, I don’t know how those were prepared,” Wright said. “Those are some false reports.”

George ultimately set Wright’s bond at $50,000. If he posts bail, he is forbidden to contact the woman.

Wright is scheduled to next appear in court on Tuesday.