Man arrested after barricade incident had warrant for beating pregnant girlfriend

The man arrested after a barricade situation Saturday, in which he threatened to harm his girlfriend’s baby, had a warrant for his arrest on charges related to beating his pregnant girlfriend in 2016.

Lawrence Edward Jackson, 32, was arrested Saturday afternoon on charges of domestic battery by strangulation and child endangerment in the first degree. The child endangerment charge was dropped by the district attorney, court records show.

The 2016 warrant for Jackson’s arrest included charges of first-degree kidnapping, coercion with force, domestic battery by strangulation and first-degree domestic battery, court records show. The warrant was issued after his girlfriend sought medical treatment in March 2016. She was 35 weeks pregnant and told police that Jackson kept her against her will for three days and battered her multiple times, according to a police report.

The woman told police that she “felt her face go numb and she thought she was going to die,” as Jackson choked her. She also reported that he kicked and punched her in the stomach multiple times, believing he intended to severely harm her and the unborn child.

On Saturday, a woman, later identified as Jackson’s on again-off again girlfriend, called Las Vegas police about 11:30 a.m. to report that Jackson was threatening to kill her 10-month-old son. She left her son in Jackson’s care overnight so she could attend a friend’s birthday party, according to a police report.

The mother awoke Saturday morning to texts and a phone call from Jackson threatening to kill her and her son. She called police.

Jackson was taken into custody after an hourslong barricade at 2901 N. Rainbow Blvd., according to police.

The mother told police that as she was changing her son’s diaper the morning before the barricade, Jackson entered the room and kicked her in her ribs and back. As she fell to the floor, he straddled her and put both hands around her neck, squeezing until she couldn’t breathe. She was able to free her legs and kick Jackson in the groin, at which point he began punching her in the face, the report says.

Jackson left the room when the baby started crying and the couple didn’t speak again until it was time for her to leave for the birthday party, the report says.

Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Follow @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.