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Springfield man faces 10 counts, seven felonies

SPRINGFIELD — A 36-year-old Springfield man faces 10 charges including seven felonies after a May 14 incident involving two children and law enforcement in Springfield.

Charges filed May 17 against Steven L. Dingman, 10 W. Maple St. include two counts each of felony threats of violence, domestic assault, and false imprisonment, and one count of felony domestic assault-by strangulation, gross misdemeanor interrupting a 911 call, obstructing the legal process, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

According to court documents, Springfield Police got a phone call from Dingman’s mother who said she was concerned for her son and Dingman’s welfare because he was intoxicated and had two children with him that need to be checked on too. Police were advised that the caller said Dingman made suicidal comments.

En route to Dingman’s apartment, police were advised Dingman was on probation with a condition of no alcohol use.

Police went to the apartment with Dingman’s girlfriend who tried to open the apartment door but was unable due to an inside chain lock. She called Dingman on her cell phone but he refused to let her into the apartment or send the children out. He also refused to allow an officer into the apartment to check on the children’s welfare.

Dingman later opened the apartment door and send the children and dog out.

The children came running outside, saying “thank you, officers! We knew you would come to save us. We knew you would come for us.”

After the children came out the door, Dingman came out of his apartment and was very confrontational. “He did not want us there,” read the complaint.

Officers tried to keep Dingman away from the other apartment resident by blocking his hallway movement. The resident had to dart to his apartment.

Dingman continued to swear at officers.

Police could smell an extremely strong alcoholic beverage odor coming from Dingman.

Police talked to the children, one of which had a bloody nose and said Dingman hit him in the nose.

One of the kids told police Dingman told them he was going to kill them and that he did not care if they were alive or died.

“He made a promise that he would never lay a hand on us again, but he lied,” said one kid.

Dingman was pat searched. A folding knife was found in his pants pocket. It took officers about 11 minutes to talk Dingman out to the squad car, handcuffing him and placing him in the back of the squad car.

Dingman was transported to the Brown County Jail on an arrest & detain order for a probation violation. He argued with jailers before law enforcement assisted with escorting him upstairs to jail. Dingman then started to hit a jail cell door glass window, causing his hand to bleed.

He was convicted of terroristic threats and fourth-degree assault, both qualified violence-related offenses.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.

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