After Repeat Violence Calls, Should This Suspect Still Be Walking Free?
Another domestic violence call. Another arrest. Another release.
And it’s prompting a growing question in the community: at what point does “release on recognizance” stop making sense?
Domestic Call With Child Present
Officers with the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office were called to Lucasville after a report of a physical altercation involving an ex-wife, with an 11-year-old child witnessing the incident.
When deputies arrived, they called for an ambulance and took Justin Whisman into custody. He was charged with:
- Domestic violence
- Probation violation
- Assault
At the owner’s request, officers also called a tow truck to remove a vehicle from the scene. No one was transported to the hospital.
Court—And Right Back Out
Whisman later appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court, where he was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to return to court on January 26.
A Pattern That’s Hard to Ignore
This was not Whisman’s first recent arrest.
- Dec. 5: Arrested for assault and aggravated menacing, appointed a public defender, and released with—again—a January 26 court date
- March: Charged with burglary, disrupting public service, assault, and domestic violence
- In a separate burglary case, he pleaded down to trespass
- Sentenced to three years probation
- Ordered to stay away from his victim and a minor child
Despite those conditions, police say Whisman has continued to come back into contact with law enforcement.
❓ So Here’s the Question
Repeated arrests.
Active probation.
A child present during violence.
Multiple releases.
👉 Should someone with this much recent and ongoing trouble be released again—especially in domestic violence cases involving children?
👉 Or is the system setting itself up to respond to the same call over and over until something worse happens?
Police did their job—again.
The courts followed procedure—again.
Now residents are asking whether the outcome is protecting the people it’s supposed to protect—or just pressing “repeat.”