A 24-year-old Greenville man is behind bars after warrants allege he grabbed the mother of his child by the throat, lifted her off her feet, and strangled her until she lost consciousness. Michael Jones was arrested Saturday and now faces a felony charge of assault by strangulation along with a misdemeanor domestic violence count.
Court documents cited by WITN state that Jones strangled the woman, who shares a child with him, causing her to lose consciousness. Warrants further allege that Jones grabbed the woman by the throat and lifted her off her feet, leaving contusions and other physical injuries, according to the same court records.
Jones was booked into the Pitt County Detention Center following his arrest, per the outlet's report. He is scheduled for a first court appearance on Monday.
How North Carolina Handles Pretrial Release in Covered Domestic Violence Cases
Jones has not had bail conditions set by a magistrate because, in covered domestic violence cases involving specified offenses and qualifying relationships, North Carolina law limits who may set them. Under the state's 48-Hour Rule, codified at N.C.G.S. § 15A-534.1, individuals arrested in those covered cases must be held in custody until a district court judge — not a magistrate — sets pretrial release conditions, and that review must happen within 48 hours, according to the UNC School of Government.
The felony count against Jones carries real weight under state sentencing law. Assault by strangulation is classified as a Class H felony under N.C.G.S. § 14-32.4(b). For a North Carolina Class H felony, a defendant at Prior Record Level I has a presumptive minimum range beginning at 5 months, while the mitigated range begins at 4 months. The maximum can reach 39 months at the highest prior-record levels, according to the DeMent Askew Law Firm.
What Counts as Strangulation Under NC Law
Prosecutors do not need to show lasting or severe injury to secure a strangulation conviction. North Carolina pattern jury instructions define strangulation as applying external pressure to the neck that restricts air or blood flow, meaning minor physical injuries may be sufficient to meet the statutory threshold, per Patrick Roberts Law.
The misdemeanor count Jones faces stems from a newer state law. North Carolina created a standalone Class A1 misdemeanor crime of domestic violence effective December 2023, under N.C.G.S. § 14-32.5, according to Jetton & Meredith, PLLC. A felony conviction may trigger the federal firearms prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), while a misdemeanor domestic-violence conviction may also implicate the federal firearms prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9).
A Pattern Experts Call a Warning Sign
Domestic violence researchers treat non-fatal strangulation as one of the clearest predictors of future lethal violence. Clinical threat assessment research cited by domestic violence prevention organizations, including Safe Futures, indicates that a victim who survives a non-fatal strangulation incident is 750 percent more likely to later be killed by the same abuser. That risk factor is one reason law enforcement and prosecutors across North Carolina treat strangulation allegations with particular urgency.
State lawmakers introduced House Bill 109 during the 2025 legislative session, which would elevate assault by strangulation causing physical injury from a Class H felony to a Class G felony, per the North Carolina General Assembly.
Jones's case is the latest in a string of similar Pitt County arrests this year. Hoodline has previously reported on a Kinston man held without bond on felony strangulation charges in Greenville.
Local Resources for Survivors
Survivors of domestic violence in the region have access to dedicated local support. The Center for Family Violence Prevention, based in Greenville, operates a 24-hour crisis hotline at 252-752-3811 and provides emergency shelter, crisis intervention, and counseling for survivors in Pitt, Martin, and Washington counties.
