Stuart Doster / Photo courtesy of the Hamilton County Sheriff's OfficeStuart Doster, a man who went viral on social media after claiming he'd been attacked by a gang in downtown Chattanooga last year, has been arrested on a charge of aggravated domestic assault.
According to an arrest report, Doster, 29, was taken into custody at 11 p.m. Jan. 12 after police were called to his home on Knickerbocker Avenue in Chattanooga. Neighbors called police after reportedly hearing a female screaming for help. Then the woman's father called law enforcement to report that her husband, Doster, "was drunk and had assaulted her," according to the report.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga police suspend investigation into alleged downtown assault)
Upon arrival, an officer at the scene said he saw a white man stumbling away from the home. The officer asked the woman if Doster had left the home on foot. She said he had, so officers continued their search. Doster was eventually located on Dartmouth Street.
According to the report, Doster told police the couple had an argument about finances and he "walked away to cool off."
The woman told police a different story.
She said she was sitting on the couch with her daughter when Doster grabbed her arm, twisted it and said he was going to break it. She said he then pulled her arm behind her back and put his other arm around her neck "to the point where I could barely breathe." She said he held her down on the ground but that she was able to get away and run outside with her daughter, where Doster proceeded to pin her "over the back retaining wall with [her] daughter in [her] arms."
Both the woman and her father told police Doster is an alcoholic, and she stated that he "only gets this way when he is drunk."
Officers on the scene reported that there was visible bruising on the woman's arm and said though there did not appear to be bruising on her neck, such bruising would be unlikely if "Mr. Doster used his arm as described and not his hands."
Attempts to reach Doster for comment since Wednesday of last week have been unsuccessful. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
In a viral Facebook post in September, Doster claimed he was attacked by "5-6 teenagers" as he was walking toward his car on Cherry Street, near Buffalo Wild Wings and the Market Street Bridge. He said they kicked him in the ribs, throat and head before attempting to push him into "an old, red sedan," but that he was able to fight his way out.
Once out of the car, Doster said he witnessed another man who looked to be in his mid-40s being beaten across the street by another group of multiple people. The two briefly made eye contact, Doster said, while they were under attack.
"I offered my wallet, phone, watch and keys to these kids. They did not want any of it, oddly enough," he said in the Facebook post. "Based on my experience, I would guess this was some type of gang initiation directive. I do not post on Facebook often, so I hope this can change or save lives in one way or another. Travel in packs. Keep an eye on your surroundings. Protect yourself."
Chattanooga Police opened an investigation into the allegations at the time, and it was eventually suspended after video footage showed that Doster initiated the fight and that the timeline of events shown in the footage did not match up with what he claimed took place.
No second witness or participant in the incident ever came forward.
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At the time, interim police chief Eric Tucker encouraged the community not to share stories on Facebook that might incite fear or anger.
"In our current climate with social media, let's not poke holes in the fabric of our community by sharing stories or inflammatory remarks that are meant to tear others down or incite fear or anger," Tucker said.
Contact Kelcey Caulder at kcaulder@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.