A Searcy County man is facing a felony charge after reportedly assaulting his girlfriend during an argument. Thirty-one-year-old Randall Lee Buckner, who has multiple prior convictions for domestic violence, was arrested following the alleged incident.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Marshall Police Department, the victim told officers that an argument with Buckner that began the previous night escalated the following morning. She reported that Buckner urinated on her, kicked her in the hip, and continued yelling at her about the earlier disagreement. Officers observed visible bruising on the victim’s hip, and the affidavit noted that Buckner had a history of physical violence against her.
Authorities obtained a warrant, and Buckner was later taken into custody. The initial charge of third-degree domestic battery was upgraded to a felony first-degree domestic battery charge after a review of Buckner’s criminal history, which revealed repeated abuse involving intimate partners. Court records show Buckner is prohibited from contacting the victim and is being held in the Searcy County Jail without bond.
In addition to the latest charge, Buckner has an extensive criminal record in Searcy County. Since 2020, he has faced at least five felony arrests for offenses including first-degree terroristic threatening, aggravated assault on a family or household member, felony third-degree domestic battery, theft of property, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has served time in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Corrections and the Searcy County Jail and has also received suspended sentences in prior cases.