Man pleads not guilty to kidnapping, weapons charges
Jan. 20—A Medford man pleaded not guilty to second-degree kidnapping and other charges stemming from his actions against two women — one of whom was his girlfriend.
Daylon Michael Johnathon Clarke, 21, of the 400 block of Main Street, Medford, was indicted by a Jackson County Circuit Court grand jury for second-degree kidnapping, first-degree theft, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, coercion and misdemeanor counts of menacing and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the document filed Wednesday.
Clarke was arrested by Jackson County sheriff's deputies Saturday and is being held in the county jail on $200,000 bail. A contempt of court charge was added by the court against Clarke Tuesday, increasing his bail by $1,000, to $201,000.
A probable cause affidavit filed by law enforcement explained how the incident began. A woman reported that after she was dropped off at her apartment after an evening out with friends, Clarke and his girlfriend arrived. She asked Clarke to be quiet and leave, and he allegedly began menacing and coercing both women.
The indictment stated that he directed many of his actions toward his girlfriend, such as the second-degree kidnapping, along with unlawful use of a weapon to threaten, coerce and menace her. The woman who lived at the apartment was also threatened with the firearm and menaced by Clarke, according to the indictment.
He is scheduled to have a pretrial conference Jan. 31.
