NITRO, W.Va. — Deputies in Putnam County said a man was taken into custody Monday evening for hitting another man in the head with a sledgehammer.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Ronald J. Coward, 52, hit Ziad Sadeddin in the back of the head with a mini sledgehammer at the Pilot Travel Center in Nitro. Sadeddin was taken to a local hospital but has since been released.
Coward was reportedly stabbed in the shoulder and armpit during the exchange. He was also taken to a local hospital before being transported to jail.
Deputies said the two got into an altercation which sparked the incident. It’s unknown what started the altercation.
Coward has been charged with malicious assault and battery. He’s been booked in the Western Regional Jail with bail set at $20,000.