Stoney LaRue Officially Charged with Domestic Abuse
Red Dirt country artist Stoney LaRue has officially been charged with domestic abuse stemming from a July 20th incident where he allegedly pushed his live-in girlfriend Amanda Winsworth down a flight of stairs. The domestic assault and battery charge Stoney faces is a misdemeanor in Oklahoma.
Stoney was arrested in Oklahoma City after police received a 911 call from Stoney’s girlfriend on July 20th. Stoney was arrested without incident, booked into the Oklahoma County Jail and was later released on bond. It remained somewhat unclear if Stoney would be charged after his girlfriend tweeted out the day after the incident, “The happenings of this incident have been blown out of proportion by the media. I was never struck by my boyfriend. Please respect our privacy while we fix this matter.”
Winsworth filed a protective order against Stoney the day he was arrested, but according to court documents, the protective order was dismissed on August 3rd after Winsworth failed to appear in court. “He woke up ripping my dryer out of my hands, started punching my left arm & shoulder, pushed me down twice,” Winsworth said in the protective order. “I got up the 3rd time at the top of our staircase & he pushed me down the flights of stairs.”
“We got the initial call, and a female was contacting us saying that he [Stoney LaRue] had pushed her down the stairs,” Sergeant Jennifer Wardlow of the Oklahoma City Police Department told Saving Country Music. “Stoney, had gone out to have some drinks with another female, and the girlfriend I guess decided she didn’t want to go, and so she went out with this other girl. They came home very early, I think they said it was about 4:00 in the morning, were intoxicated, creating kind of a commotion, so she [the girlfriend] decided to go out and sleep in the car because she had to get up the next day and she wanted to be able to get some rest.”
The next morning, Winsworth came back into the apartment to get ready for work, and that’s when the situation turned violent.
“…he grabbed her curling iron and threw it down the stairs, grabbed her makeup bag and threw it down the stairs,” says Sergeant Jennifer Wardlow. “According to the report, when she was bending down to pick those items up, he pushed her, and she kind of went head over feet down the stairs. So officers took him into custody without any problem, [and] arrested him. The other female that was there as well was apparently hindering our officers.”
The other suspect has been identified as 43-year-old Richa Chandra. Police reported Amanda Winsworth had scrapes and scratches on her left leg and knee, and scratches on her back.
After the incident was made public, Stoney LaRue released a statement:
I want to apologize to my family, my friends and my fans for the recent circumstances that have come to light. I am going to take some time to work on myself. I will be entering an intensive and extensive program, and I appreciate your thoughts and good wishes for me during this trying time. Please check my website and Facebook page for updates on my upcoming tour dates, but most importantly, I appreciate your support during this time.
Stoney is set to resume touring starting September 10th.
August 22, 2015 @ 2:51 pm
A Jason Isbell rise and fall type story? I hope so. Rooting for him. Irony is that some of the best songs will be forthcoming.
August 22, 2015 @ 3:52 pm
Except isbell never was arrested for domestic abuse. He was just an alcoholic. Not to mention isbell has 10 times the musical ability larue does even when he was drunk off his ass
August 22, 2015 @ 4:42 pm
I would agree, but while what Stoney did was terrible, his last two albums have been pretty damn good. I’m not saying he is on Isbell’s level as a writer, but he is one of the best Red Dirt artists right now.
Again, not excusing his terrible actions, but I still remain a fan of his music even if as a person he clearly has some pretty bad demons.
August 22, 2015 @ 5:03 pm
Right J, because I was making an EXACT comparison. Maybe 10 times the songwriting ability, not musical ability. Stoney is pretty damn versatile. Not excusing it, but he’s always been good to his fans and seemed like a good guy. Hoping this propels him and well wishes for all concerned.
August 22, 2015 @ 6:46 pm
Only a misdemeanor?
I’m one who favors second chances on most accounts. But domestic abuse is something I don’t take lightly and think calls for a stronger stance.
Musically, I’m still rooting for the guy. I’m one who aspires to separate one’s personal life from the artistic output and only make an exception if one is obviously influencing the other (especially when one is making excuses and lacks self-awareness). But punching your girlfriend, and then pushing her down the stairs…………..I can’t get my head around why that’s only considered a misdemeanor in Oklahoma (while possessing an ounce of pot gives you double-digit years in prison in many states) =/
August 22, 2015 @ 9:06 pm
Not defending it, but it might have to do with the fact that it sounds like no major injuries were reported and maybe Winsworths failure to appear in court regarding the protective order played a role. Not excusing it or anything, just spitballing that those factors may have been involved.
August 22, 2015 @ 10:39 pm
I obviously don’t even have a rudimentary knowledge of legal processes, so admit my ignorance in a practical sense and am clearly speaking from more of an emotional standpoint.
I certainly don’t think LaRue should be charged remotely like, say, Jared Fogle (who was charged this week and, in my opinion, deserves an entire lifetime in San Quentin as opposed to the 12 1/2 years maximum he is expected to get for his despicable actions). But domestic assault warrants at least a little more than a misdemeanor charge, I feel.
August 22, 2015 @ 10:26 pm
the whole isbell/larue thing. I guess it is a preference, but I have been listening to Stoney for years. Isbell never really did anything for me as a solo artist. I love the dbt’s though.
August 23, 2015 @ 2:27 am
Sad to see this, had some drinks with Stoney & his girlfriend in Seattle and they were some of the nicest people I’ve met in the industry. Hope things work out for both of them.
August 23, 2015 @ 6:36 am
Big Stoney fan. Idiotic behavior is inexcusable though. Hope he works it all out.
August 23, 2015 @ 1:48 pm
It’s time to sober up and grow up, Stoney.
Get help before you lose any more than you already have.
No one likes a wife-beater (abusive spouse, not the clothing article that I continue to wear to my wife’s displeasure).
February 8, 2022 @ 11:56 pm
Stoney was fucking my ex wife long before she was my ex….don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth!