Charges against Sisters couple dropped

The Deschutes County District Attorney has dropped assault charges against Elizabeth and James Dennis of Sisters.

The charges stemmed from an altercation that took place at their home on September 4.

Elizabeth Dennis told The Nugget that she had merely tried to restrain the girl she was accused of assaulting, after the girl and her sister came to Dennis' house to return a pair of pants they had been arguing over.

Dennis said she told the girl and her sister to leave and called the police. When the girl threw the pants on her deck, Dennis said she went out to get them and that is when the altercation occurred.

Dennis said she grabbed the girl by the neck and put her to the floor after the girl struck her. She said her husband pinned down the girl's sister, who was trying to jump into the fray.

"I did not touch (the girl) anywhere besides her neck," Dennis said. "It was an eight-second occurrence."

District Attorney Mike Dugan confirmed that the girl's family had requested that charges be dropped.