Police arrest man for severely beating relative

<p>A Greenwood man was arrested after a relative told police that he beat her up. The beating was so severe that a police officer responding to the scene initially thought she was dead.</p><p>Richard George Maxwell, 50, was arrested on charges of domestic battery resulting in serious body injury and disorderly conduct.</p><p>Greenwood police were dispatched to the 400 block of N. Meridian Street twice on Thursday. During the first incident, a woman said a relative had locked himself in the garage and was destroying items inside, according to a probable cause affidavit.</p><p>Police were called a second time by the woman. She told police she was fighting with the man again. Police arrived at the home and a woman told police to hurry up and get into the home because Maxwell and the woman were fighting, the affidavit said.</p><p>The officer entered the home and saw Maxwell kneeling over the woman. She was motionless on the floor and there was blood near her head, according to the affidavit. The officer wrote in the probable cause affidavit that he thought the woman was dead.</p><p>Maxwell began yelling and saying he did not hit the woman and that she had fallen in the garage and in the house. The woman regained consciousness and told police that Maxwell had beaten her up, the affidavit said.</p><p>A witness outside of the home said she heard pounding noises inside the house. The victim was taken to a hospital to treat her injuries.</p><p>Maxwell was taken to the Johnson County jail, where he was held on $4,300 bond.</p>