Anne Arundel County Police released a heavily redacted 911 call Elsie Bateman made the night her husband, Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman, allegedly assaulted her.
Police also released redacted police reports, text messages between Elsie Bateman and the domestic violence detective investigating the case, a list of property taken from the Bateman home and audio files of radio traffic after the original 911 call.
In response, a trio of Anne Arundel County leaders released a statement Wednesday morning, calling on Bateman to resign.
"Violence against women is a serious issue in our state and in our county. The new information contained in these recently released documents and recording pertaining to Sheriff Ron Bateman’s domestic violence case are troubling and unsettling," read the statement from Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh, Sen. Ed Reilly and Republican Central Committee Chairman Nathan Volke.
“While everyone should be afforded their day in court, we hold our elected officials, especially ones in law enforcement roles, to a higher standard. This criminal case threatens the public trust in the Office of Anne Arundel County Sheriff, and compromises Mr. Bateman’s ability to administer the Sheriff’s Office," the statement read. “For these reasons, we believe it is in the best interests of our citizens that Sheriff Bateman resign his office.”
Ron Bateman, who has been charged with second-degree assault, has denied assaulting his wife. Elsie Bateman has also retracted her statements, saying her husband did not intentionally hurt her.
RELATED: Wife of Anne Arundel sheriff Bateman: "He did not intentionally hurt me"
But in her call to 911, Elsie Bateman can be heard telling the operator that "the sheriff is drunk and he just punched me in the eye."
She said in the call that her husband had been out at an event, and he had been drinking.
The dispatcher asked her if there were weapons around.
"He's the sheriff, he's got guns everywhere, yeah," Elsie Bateman said.
She's also heard saying, "Don't come near me. Don't come near me, I swear to God."
But text messages to Anne Arundel County Police Det. Tim Utzig, the domestic violence detective assigned to the case, show her backing off from her original statements.
Bateman complains about the media attention the incident received, and Utzig urges her not to make statements to the press and to watch what she says on social media.
"You are not going to change anyone's opinion... And it will only make things worse. Believe me. I have seen it," the detective wrote.
"I love that man so much this is killing me I want this all to get better and go away he was supposed to go to counseling on Wednesday," Elsie Bateman replied.
The detective discusses how Elsie Bateman can get a protective order, instructing her where to go and who can help her, and said police want photos of her eye. Utzig offered to meet her at Baltimore Washington Medical Center, where Bateman said she was getting X-rays.
Bateman responded:
"This is Elsie Bateman I am not pursuing charges against by husband Ron Bateman... He never struck me or hit me and I truly am not sure how I was injured because it all happened so fast... If you don't mind please do not contact me anymore ... thank you for your help we are going to work this out through counseling."
Bateman's attorney, Peter O'Neill, tells ABC 2 News that his client has no intention of resigning. Going on to say that Bateman continues to maintain his innocence and plans to plead not guilty to his misdemeanor charge.
Anne Arundel County officials say if Bateman doesn't step down on his own, the County has no power to make him.
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