Pipe-attack suspect in Strong makes court appearance, gets $150K bond

— By TIA LYONS

Staff writer

EL DORADO — Days after his arrest, a Strong resident made his first appearance Wednesday in 35th Judicial District Court on a felony charge stemming from a fight in which he is accused of seriously injuring another man during a fight.

Bond was set at $150,000 for Marcus A. Hicks, 41, of 234 Hickory, Strong.

Hicks faces a felony charge of first-degree battery for allegedly striking 44-year-old Terrance L. Gatson in the head with a pipe during a fight that occurred on May 13 in Strong.

According to a Union County Sheriff’s Office report, Gatson received serious head and eye injuries in the incident.

Gatson was transported by ambulance to Medical Center of South Arkansas, and he was later transferred to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock for further treatment.

The following day, Gatson’s wife told deputies that her husband was in danger of losing his right eye.

She said his eye socket was fractured, there was a blood clot in his right eye, and he sustained swelling and bleeding on the brain.

UCSO investigator Jamie Morrow said Gatson was expected to undergo surgery Wednesday, and Gatson will have to undergo several more surgeries.

Morrow said he did not know yet if Gatson would lose his eye.

On May 13, deputies were called to the parking lot of Eighty-Two Liquor, 9107 Strong Hwy., in reference to a fight.

Deputies said they immediately made contact with Gatson, who was bleeding profusely from a large cut above his eye.

Gatson told deputies that the suspect, later identified as Hicks, had struck him in the head with a pipe.

A warrant was subsequently issued for Hicks’s arrest, and UCSO investigators later received information that Hicks was inside an apartment at Haygood-Neal Garden Apartments in El Dorado.

With assistance from the El Dorado Police Department, sheriff’s deputies went to Haygood-Neal at 4:30 p.m. on May 19 to issue the warrant.

After receiving permission from the complex manager to enter apartment 104, deputies made contact with 32-year-old Latronda Champion in the doorway, according to a UCSO report.

Deputies noted that several children were inside the apartment at the time.

They asked Champion several times if Hicks was inside the apartment, and she repeatedly said no, according to the sheriff’s report.

Deputies cleared Champion and the children — ages 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8 — from the apartment, and during a search, they found Hicks inside and took him into custody.

Champion was also arrested for hindering apprehension and prosecution and five counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

She was issued a citation to appear in 35th Judicial Court on June 19.

Morrow said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

“We’re not sure, as of yet, why the fight happened,” he said, adding that Gatson and Hicks are believed to be acquaintances.

Hicks was originally set for a first appearance hearing on Monday, but the hearing was rescheduled for Wednesday.

Hicks said he planned to retain his own attorney.

He was issued a $150,000 bond in any form acceptable to the sheriff.

If he is released from the Union County Jail on bond Hicks must abide by a daily curfew of 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. He was also ordered not to have any contact with the victim or the victim’s spouse

(Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].)

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