RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond police lieutenant and his wife are facing misdemeanor charges after a fight inside their home late last month.
On August 20, Chesterfield police were called to the home of Erlan and Tawana Marshall on Kings Crest Ct., after Tawana Marshall called to report she was pointing a 22 pistol at her husband.
Erlan Marshall is a 17-year veteran of the Richmond Police Department and a lieutenant who has earned a solid reputation among colleagues and those he serves in the city’s third precinct.
According to the police report, Erlan Marshall told investigators that he and his wife were having marital problems and had gotten into a big argument around 5 a.m..
Marshall claims he walked into his wife’s room to talk about their relationship. He stated that “ he tried to get close to her and she struck him in the left side of the face. He then stated he tried to hug her and she bit him on the left cheek.”
Tawana Marshall was arrested and charged with assaulting a family member and brandishing a firearm.
Shortly after her arrest, Tawana Marshall filed a cross warrant on her husband, claiming her actions were in self-defense. Marshall says she took out the gun and bit her husband on the cheek after he kicked down her bedroom door and pinned her down, demanding to talk.
Erlan Marshall is also facing charges of assaulting a family member.
A spokesperson with the Richmond Police Department says Lt. Marshall is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation. While Marshall tells CBS 6 he cannot talk about the case, he says he and his wife are working on their marriage in the best interest of their four children.
Both Erlan and Tawana Marshall will appear in Chesterfield’s Juvenile and Domestic Relation’s Court on Sept. 19.
