NORWICH – A Bainbridge man charged with assaulting his wife after a three-hour standoff with New York State Police appeared in court Friday to beg the judge for his release. The alleged victim claims the incident was a misunderstanding.

Michael D. Richardson, 33, surrendered to police negotiators outside his residence Dec. 10 in the Village of Bainbridge and was later charged with felony second degree assault.

According to a grand jury indictment handed down in January, the alleged victim in the case, Richardson’s wife, suffered multiple strikes to her face, causing a fracture to the right eye socket and leaving her unconscious with a concussion.

New York State Police Captain James E. Barnes said troopers were alerted to the potential hostage situation at around 8:21 a.m. when a 911 call was placed by a relative of the family reporting a domestic dispute. By approximately 11:40 a.m., Richardson willingly surrendered to police outside his residence at 6 Johnson St. in the Village of Bainbridge.

A patrol arrived on the scene shortly after the original complaint and immediately established a security perimeter, blocking off several side streets and a portion of State Route 7.

Troopers evacuated residents from the homes directly surrounding the area, the railroad ceased operation through the village and the nearby Bainbridge-Guilford Greenlawn Elementary School was placed on lock out during the incident.