Early Monday morning, deputies were dispatched to the 2100 block of Raby Town Road in Philadelphia for a possible psychiatric event. The suspect, 29-year-old David Richard Southerland, was said to be on meth and in possession of a knife. A woman in the home was not being permitted to leave, and Southerland had threatened to slit her throat.

Deputies found Southerland on the front porch. The woman, who was inside, crying, refused medical treatment.

Southerland stated he and the woman, who are living together and romantically involved, were arguing over his recent meth relapse and his attempting to leave. He said he grabbed his knife and threatened to kill himself, then told officers he did not wish to harm himself and refused medical treatment. Southerland admitted to recently injecting meth and “losing it” on his girlfriend.

The woman told a slightly different story. She said she refused to let Southerland take her vehicle, whereupon he “immediately snapped.” When she told Southerland she would call 911, he said he’d kill her if she did, then grabbed a knife and began pacing back and forth at the front door.

When she attempted to leave, Southerland grabbed her in a headlock until she fell to her knees. He released her and left, leaving her in fear because she didn’t know what he was going to do to himself or her due to the drugs.

Deputies saw debris on the woman’s knees, which was consistent with her statements, plus small red marks on the back of her neck. They also saw the sheathed knife on the kitchen floor near the door.

Southerland was charged with aggravated domestic assault