Man jailed for allegedly causing punctured lung in assault

A Wellpinit man was arrested Thursday for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend so severely that she suffered a punctured lung.

Grant H. Denison II, 35, has been charged with second-degree domestic violence assault. His bond was set at $15,000 Friday during a brief court appearance, though the prosecuting attorney asked for a bond of $50,000 for what he described as a violent and extended assault.

Denison’s attorney successfully argued for a lower bond, saying that Denison has a limited criminal record and works as a firefighter for the Spokane Tribe.

Denison’s girlfriend told police that she was driving Denison’s truck in Spokane at 1 a.m. on March 6 when Denison began to punch her. She said she pulled near Francis and Alberta because she thought she was going to pass out, according to court documents.

She said Denison got behind the wheel and as he drove he kept punching her and once grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the dashboard, according to court documents. The woman told police that she tried to escape several times, but each time Denison would grab her hair and yank her bank.

The woman said she was able to escape when Denison stopped for gas. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was admitted for treatment of a punctured lung. Police officers noted in court documents that her upper body was covered in bruises and clumps of her hair had been ripped out.