Greenville Man, 39, Jailed Without Bond After Stabbing Girlfriend's Neck With Drill

A 39-year-old Greenville man is being held in jail without bond after warrants accuse him of stabbing his girlfriend's neck with a DeWalt power drill and destroying the phone she used to call police. Jace Davis was arrested and charged Monday with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, along with several lesser charges tied to the same domestic violence incident.

According to WITN, court documents describe Davis and the victim as dating at the time of the attack. Warrants allege Davis hit his girlfriend in the face before stabbing her in the neck with the power drill. Records show he also destroyed the phone she was using to call police, an act that led to an additional charge of interfering with emergency communication.

In addition to the felony assault charge, Davis was charged with assault on a female and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, the station reports. He remains jailed without bond as of Monday's charging date.

Why a Drill Counts as a Deadly Weapon

North Carolina courts define a deadly weapon broadly to include any object capable of causing death or serious bodily harm based on how it's used, extending well beyond guns and knives to power tools, blunt instruments and other household items, according to Thomas Amburgey Law. Intent and manner of use determine the classification, which is how a DeWalt drill can support the same felony charge typically associated with a firearm or blade.

Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury is a Class C felony, the highest non-lethal assault charge under North Carolina law. A conviction carries mandatory active prison time ranging from 44 to 231 months, depending on the defendant's prior criminal history level, per the same firm's analysis of the statute.

The Phone-Destruction Charge and What It Signals

Interfering with emergency communication is a Class A1 misdemeanor, the highest misdemeanor tier in North Carolina, carrying penalties of up to 150 days in jail along with potential supervised probation and court-ordered counseling, according to the Powers Law Firm. The charge applies whenever someone intentionally disrupts a 911 call or emergency equipment, and it frequently surfaces in domestic violence cases where an abuser tries to cut off a victim's access to help.

The Center for Family Violence Prevention notes that destroying a victim's communication tools alongside escalating physical violence with household implements are recognized behavioral indicators of high lethality risk in intimate partner relationships, according to the organization's own research.

No Bond Under the State's 48-Hour Rule

Davis's no-bond status stems from North Carolina's so-called 48-hour rule under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-534.1, which strips magistrates of the authority to set bail for defendants charged with violent offenses against a dating partner. Instead, per the NC Criminal Law Blog, a district court judge must determine pretrial release conditions within 48 hours of arrest, giving the court time to weigh victim safety before granting bond.

The assault on a female charge Davis faces is also a Class A1 misdemeanor under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-33(c)(2), applying to assaults committed by adult men against women, and it frequently accompanies civil domestic violence protective orders, according to Randall Law's outline of the statute.

Part of a Wider Pattern in Pitt County and Beyond

This case follows other recent violent crime arrests in Greenville. Earlier in August, Greenville police arrested a 26-year-old man on rape and kidnapping charges, also holding him without bond under the same violent-offense procedures. And in April, Union County deputies arrested a Wingate man on attempted first-degree murder charges after he allegedly stabbed his wife multiple times inside their home before inflicting self-inflicted neck wounds; the victim required emergency airlift transport following that attack.

North Carolina law enforcement agencies have reported multiple non-fatal stabbing cases this month where prosecutors levied Class C felony charges under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-32 after determining evidence of intent to kill alongside serious bodily injury, reflecting a broader statewide charging trend for severe weapon attacks.

Local Resources for Survivors

The Center for Family Violence Prevention, located at 111 E. 3rd Street in Greenville, provides 24-hour crisis intervention, emergency shelter through its Safe House, victim advocacy and legal assistance for domestic abuse survivors across Pitt, Martin and Washington counties, according to Pitt County government resources. The organization operates a 24/7 emergency hotline at 252-752-3811 for anyone needing immediate help.