JONESBORO, Ark. – After seeing the Main Street beating video showing Bobby Joe “BJ” Nutt in his vicious attack on an unconscious man, Assistant Jonesboro City Attorney Heather Owens signed off on an arrest warrant for third degree battery. A judge signed it not long after, on Friday, August 9.
On August 13, the arrest warrant was served to Nutt at 4:25 PM. His photo was never found by a reporter on the Craighead County Jail website. He was served a no contact order at 11:16 AM on August 15. The order is between Nutt and his victim (see below). A professional bond was posted on the same day for Nutt at 11:17 AM.
This comes after the victim filed an affidavit for charges with the city. Normally, an affidavit is slowly processed, sent to an officer, and a summons issued but this case was not handled normally, Owens confirmed without elaborating why. The warrant was issued immediately and signed by a judge for third degree battery (Class A misdemeanor).
Nutt has been ordered to appear in Jonesboro District Court at 1 PM on September 16 for his plea and arraignment. Nutt faces up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine on the battery charge (see video). He also faces time for contempt of court – failure to pay fines (see below video).
Before that, he was already no stranger to police.
Nutt has a violent history including accusations of violence against a number of women he was in relationships with. He had a second warrant out for his arrest for being in contempt of court for not paying fines over slashing a woman’s tires. He was found guilty in that case.
On June 28, 2018, a criminal mischief charge was brought against him, according to JPD’s Information Specialist Sally Smith. It was in reference to vehicle damage. He slashed the tires of his ex-fiance, the report said, and he was convicted. Nutt was to pay fines on the crime. He made at least one payment of $100, court records show, but he stopped paying after about one month. On November 21, warrant was issued for his arrest for Contempt of Court: Failure to Pay Fines.
That wasn’t his first encounter with JPD either. According to Smith, since 2010, ten reports have been filed in Jonesboro alone involving Nutt.
Also, another video was shared with NEA Report which appears to show Nutt attacking yet another person on Main Street downtown.
Then, there are the orders of protection filed by his exes. We are protecting all of their identities here due to fear of reprisal from the violent Nutt.
Three Different Women Speak Out
Several women contacted NEA Report during our coverage to tell us that this was par for the course behavior by Nutt. After seeing the video of the beating, two different women said hearing him rage at the unconscious victim brought back memories of instances they’ve had with the same violent man.
First Witness
“We were in a relationship for three months in 2012,” said Witness #1. “He is very abusive and is very scary when he gets mad. One night, I asked him if he had cheated on me because I had heard rumors. He got very angry and I tried to leave. He then grabbed me by arm in his gravel driveway, threw me over his shoulder and took me to the shop by his house and slammed me to the ground. Somehow I got him to calm down and I told him I wouldn’t call the cops. I met with the cops and they took pictures, told me what I needed to do the next day about a protection order and that they were going to search for him. Not ten minutes after arriving to my home he drove by my house and was arrested.”
The first witness didn’t want her name on the record because she said he has stalked her before, describing it in frightening detail. She said she once got off work and saw him watching her in the parking lot at her job.
She said Nutt was not only on steroids when she dated him but she personally witnessed him selling them. She said he blames his rage on getting blown up in war but she said he was the same way before he served for several months overseas. She said he went into rages “all the time” and she felt like she had PTSD over her experiences.
Her memories were triggered by the YouTube video of the beating.
“The scream in that video…I’ve heard that scream so many times that it brought back that memory of him screaming in my face like a grizzly bear.”
Second Witness
“When I dated him, I experienced that voice and that rage just because I didn’t want to be at his house,” said Witness #2. “He would go off for absolutely no reason. One time he grabbed my gun and was yelling like [the video] and pinned me down then put his nose to mine and held the gun to his head right in my face. He’s kicked my door in, broke in and stole undergarments, punched me in the chest, but he quickly realized I wouldn’t put up with it.”
The second witness dated Nutt in 2012 as well, she said, just following the previous woman’s encounter. She said the they only dated for a few months but in that time, she experienced terror. On one night, he kicked her door in and began physically attacking her, she said, before he pulled a gun out of the nightstand. She said he pointed the gun at her and then pointed it at his temple while on top of her pinning her down. She doesn’t remember how she escaped that situation but she did and said it was a wake up call.
“Hearing that video brought back those memories,” Witness #2 said. “That’s how he does. He gets in your face. You look in his eyes and there’s nothing there. He’s uncontrollable and he’ll fly off for no reason.”
Third Witness
On Dec. 30, 2015, Nutt was waiting on his ex outside of her place of employment. He refused to let her leave him and said she would talk to him or he would become “threatening at my job and/or follow me on my lunch break,” she wrote in the request for an order of protection. He got upset after a short time and refused to let her go back to work. He raised his fist and threatened to hit her anytime she tried to leave, the affidavit said. She jumped out of the vehicle at Caraway and Highland to get away. It led her to requesting the restraining order but it was only one of several incidents. She wrote that Nutt had physically abused her for the past six months.
“Several of those times, I thought I was going to die,” she wrote. “He likes to choke me until I can’t breathe and pick me up by my throat.”
If this person is so abusive and has had as many as ten reports then why is he still out walking the streets? If a man or woman is that abusive and has as many people / women reporting him, filing restraining orders/protection orders and then after this last issue on Main Street, he needs to have more than a misdemeanor charge against him. He needs to be held accountable for what he did as well as anyone that assisted him in getting away.
Not sure why you’re reporting things falsely. I am one of the women you’re referring to as a witness and much of this story is fake and terrible reporting. I suggest you get your story straight before posting what people you’ve never talked to said or experienced. And no he was not convicted of slashing my tires, another false statement. Sounds to me like you absolutely have personal motives for fluffing this story like you are. Again don’t post me as speaking out of a witness, you never talked to me !!!!
HE DRAWS $3800 A MONTH FROM THE VA. HE DID NOT SEE ACTUAL FIGHTING WHILE HE WAS OVERSEAS. THIS IS US AS U.S. CITIZENS GIVING HIM A FREE RIDE WHILE VETS WHO ACTUALLY DESERVE BENEFITS ARE TURNED DOWN.
Another loser who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Free ride my ass. The guy absolutely was in combat and has the scars and medical records to prove it. There was a reason the VA gave him his benefits. But hey let’s all jump on here and cast stones as if we’re all perfect right!!!!! I’m sure all the anonymous commenters on here have never done anything wrong 👌
Is the muscle head still walking free?
How can he be served his arrest warrant, never arrested, and less than a minute later a professional bond be posted….Doesn’t make any sense… Also this should be more than a misdemeanor charge for sure…The video proves that…And any others involved should be charged except for the man trying to pull him off of the victim….What is wrong with the world and the justice system today????? If this had been anyone the law had never had run ins with before,
they would have got attempted murder charges..AND WE ALL KNOW THAT’S A FACT!!!!!
lol “violent Nutt” indeed! This guy is so obviously hopped up on roids. It’s just a matter of time before his paranoia and stupidity that he’ll put a bullet into his own head – and good riddance. All of these loser women who put up with abuse are just as stupid. It’s amusing that his apologists are on here saying the same old tired refrain “but, but he’s a good boy” lol. some are probably him. There are plenty of soldiers who went to war, faced far worse than this moron did, but weren’t weak enough to cry about it and try to grab everything they can. Eventually he’ll run across someone who won’t back down and they’ll put him down.
Very,very well said. Some smaller man will use an equalizer on this idiot.
Using he veteran’s status as an excuse is a slap in the face to all veterans. It is obvious that he thinks he is the cock of the walk. Even though he has to prove this by beating on individuals who cannot defend themselves. One day he will run into an equalizer. Either that or the roiD’s will turn him into a stone cold mass killer..
The videos speak for themselves. He obviously has some serious issues. Needs to be brought to justice
I have been dating this man. He is nothing like this! He has never been violent towards me. He is the realist person I have ever met in my life. Shame on this entire article for portraying him to be some kind of monster because he is far from that! He has a heart of gold and has done nothing but made my life better and showed me an infinite amount of love.
He is extremely violent and literally stalked me everywhere. He slashed my truck tires and ripped off the door handle so I couldn’t get in. He made a copy of the key to my house without me knowing. He also poured something in my oil in my jeep Rubicon and locked up the motor! I have a pending restraining order against him have filed police reports. I’m just trying to warn and protect the next woman protect victim of his. Ladies, please stay away from this man. This all happened recently. He will never change!