Adair County: 22-year-old man charged after reaching for gun during arrest

Johnathan S. Clark, 22, of Fontanelle, was taken into custody 12:51 p.m. Jan. 22, in the 400 block of Sixth Street in Fontanelle on the charges of domestic assault causing bodily injury, first offense and interference with official acts while being armed with a firearm. While in the Adair County Jail, additional charges of domestic assault impeding air/blood flow causing injury, child endangerment, false imprisonment and three counts of domestic abuse assault, second offense were filed.

According to Adair County reports, at approximately 10:50 a.m. deputies responded to a possible domestic disturbance on Sixth Street in Fontanelle. Initially, dispatch was only able to hear a female screaming during a 911 call. The victim later said the male, identified as Clark, had left the residence and she was hiding upstairs.

The victim told deputies she told Clark she didn’t think it was right that she was at the home due to an active domestic abuse investigation between them. The victim said she had a recording of Clark saying he would lock them in a cage or room if she tried to leave, but Clark took the phone and deleted the recording.

The victim attempted to get the phone back multiple times before she was able to grab it out of his hands. A metal button on the phone case cut Clark’s finger, causing him to bleed. The victim said as Clark came back upstairs, he used his head to ram her in the stomach several times which knocked her backward onto the bed. She stated Clark grabbed her by the neck and bit her on the cheek. The victim had some swelling and discoloration on the left cheek. The victim also had bruising and redness around her right eye but was unsure how it came to be, other than it was during the altercation.

The victim began to have a panic attack, at which time Clark apologized and dumped a basket of clothes on the bedroom floor and left the residence.

Clark was located a short distance from the residence. When he was told he would be going to jail, Clark immediately said he would not and was going to kill himself and reached for a handgun he had holstered on his right hip. Deputies were able to stop Clark from drawing the weapon. Clark continued to resist arrest but was eventually placed in handcuffs. As he was escorted out of the residence he was found at, he continued to kick and flail around.

Charges were then filed for a series of domestic incidents occurring Nov. 29, Dec. 1 and Dec. 13, 2025, and were reported by the victim Dec. 15.

During the Nov. 29 incident, Clark flipped the victim over onto the bed and pulled and pushed on both sides of their head as they tried to pull away before biting the victim’s face. When the victim yelled for Clark to stop, he put his hands over their mouth and nose, picked them up by their hair and choked the victim with his right hand around their neck. The victim was unable to breathe.

After the fight, Clark calmed down and tried to apologize. The victim wanted to shower, but Clark wouldn’t allow them to shower alone and went into the bathroom as well. The victim said Clark would not allow them to go anywhere in the house, leave or be alone with a phone, making the victim feel like they were being held hostage.

On Dec. 1, the victim and Clark were playing cards with others at the residence. Clark accused the victim of cheating at the game and went to his room. The victim went into the room and was thrown on the bed by Clark and had a blanket put over their head. The victim said Clark got a shotgun and put it to his head. When the victim said they would call police, Clark said he would shoot himself in front of the cops.

Clark told police his actions were done in a playful manner that he and the victim both liked to do.

On Dec. 13, the victim stated that Clark woke up angry and threw the victim on the bed, got on top of them and bit them in the face. Clark then grabbed the inside of the victim’s arms and used the victim’s arms to hit the victim’s face. Pictures of injuries to the victim’s face and arms were provided.

A short time later, Clark, who was in the kitchen with a juvenile child, demanded the victim give him the sweatshirt they were wearing. When the victim refused, Clark tried to rip it off them. Clark admitted he tried to take the shirt and ripped the pocket on it.

According to the victim, Clark then pinned them against a door at the home, within 10 feet from the juvenile, estimated by the victim. At the end of the incident, Clark told the victim he would kill himself after killing the victim if they were to try to leave.

Clark is being held in the Adair County Jail on $25,000 cash-only bond.