Lawmakers call for Mississippi rep's resignation after he was accused of punching his wife
A Mississippi lawmaker was arrested for allegedly punching his wife over the weekend, and now, members of his own party are calling for his resignation. Rep. Doug McLeod was arrested Saturday after deputies said he punched his wife in the face and bloodied her nose.
"If the allegations against Rep. McLeod are true, he should resign immediately. Violence in any relationship is unacceptable, and I condemn this conduct in the strongest possible terms," the state's GOP chairman, Lucien Smith, said in a statement.
The state's House speaker, Philip Gunn, said he had reached out to McLeod to request his resignation if the accusations are true. "These actions are unacceptable for anyone," Gunn said.
A police report obtained by the Sun Herald in Biloxi said McLeod, 58, was drunk and holding a glass of alcohol when authorities arrived at his home Saturday night.
McLeod's wife said her husband had "just snapped," and often did so when he was drinking, the report said. Deputies found blood in the couple's bed and on the floor. They said McLeod became angered and punched his wife because she took too long to undress when he wanted to have sex.
Another woman in the house said McLeod's wife ran into her room, and the woman locked the door. The woman said McLeod started banging on the door and threatened to "kill her (expletive) dog" if she didn't open it, according to the Sun Herald.
The police report said McLeod "had slurred speech and walked slow in a zigzag pattern," and was so drunk that he needed to grab a handrail to maintain balance. McLeod was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, and released on $1,000 bond. He did not return messages from CBS News.
McLeod, who has served in Mississippi's House since 2012, co-sponsored a bill this year to ban abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected — which usually happens about six weeks into pregnancy. Mississippi passed the ban this month and it is now being challenged in federal court.
