Man beaten, scalded; 2 Chattanooga men charged

Two Chattanooga men have been charged with attempted first-degree murder after police say they tied up a family member with duct tape, threw boiling water on him and beat him with a baseball bat.

The victim, Demetrius Bowman, 22, was treated at Erlanger hospital for third-degree burns on his back, a fractured skull and two broken jaws, according to the arrest report.

The victim's uncle, Jarvis Bowman, 38, and his cousin, Jeremy Bowman, 38, were arrested Thursday and charged with attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault in the Wednesday attack at Jarvis Bowman's home at 3612 Sixth Ave.

Demetrius Bowman told police he argued with his uncle and the confrontation became violent when his uncle hit him on the head several times with a baseball bat.

According to the arrest report, Demetrius Bowman passed in and out of consciousness during the attack, and at one point woke up to find his cousin, Jeremy Bowman, restraining him with duct tape and holding him down while his uncle poured boiling water on him.

Eventually, Demetrius Bowman's uncle took him to the hospital, according to the report.

When officers interviewed Jarvis and Jeremy Bowman, Jarvis Bowman admitted hitting his nephew with a baseball bat but claimed his nephew first attacked him. Jeremy Bowman told police he did not know anything about what happened.

Jarvis Bowman is being held in the Hamilton County Jail with a $75,000 bond; Jeremy Bowman is being held on a $37,500 bond.