An argument that began at a local industry escalated into a knife fight at Circle K on the north end of town on January 6, 2024. As a result, Shiyonna Nabria Batten, 20, of McRae, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault.
According to a report from the Douglas Police Department, the incident began when a male and a female got into an argument at work. After work, the female along with a couple of others left together. They noticed that a car was following them, the report says. The vehicle pulled up beside them, started honking the horn, and people inside were yelling. According to the report, the vehicle followed them to the Circle K.
At the store, as the victims and others in the car got out and went inside. As they exited the store, an individual identified as Batten ran up and started fighting with one of the females in the first vehicle. A second individual tried to break up the fight and, the report says, Batten started hitting her. As the second victim pushed Batten away, she noticed that Batten had a blade of some kind in her hand, the report states.
Both victims noticed that they had knife wounds and one went to CRMC for treatment. The first victim suffered two puncture wounds to her chest, a slash over her left eye, and five puncture wounds to her upper back, and another slash on her left wrist. The second victim had two minor wounds on each side of her nose.
Batten eluded arrest that night but was eventually apprehended on January 8, 2024. She was charged with two counts of aggravated assault. She is still being held in the Coffee County Jail.