He Watched Football – Cops Got Called

Man lounging on a sofa with remote control — Photo: Sabrina Bracher / Shutterstock

A 64-year-old Richmond man now faces a felony abduction charge after his wife told police he taped her to a basement chair so he could watch a football game without being bothered.

Quick Take

Terry Ward, 64, was arrested after officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at his Richmond home.
His wife told police he taped her to a basement chair for 30 to 45 minutes while he watched football upstairs.
The criminal complaint says Ward admitted to officers that he tied up his wife and left her in the basement.
Ward faces felony abduction and misdemeanor assault charges and is due in court on Nov. 10.

Police Respond to Late-Night Domestic Call

Richmond police went to Ward’s home around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, after someone reported a domestic disturbance. Officers arrived and spoke with Ward’s wife, who said her husband had tied her to a chair with tape. She told them the ordeal lasted somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes before it ended.

The criminal complaint says Ward backed up much of his wife’s account. He told officers “he did indeed” tie his wife to a chair and leave her in the basement. Several outlets reported that police say Ward wanted to watch football without interruption, so he restrained her instead of simply stepping away or asking for quiet.

Case Spreads Online After Complaint Details Emerge

News of the arrest spread quickly after details from the criminal complaint began circulating on social media. The unusual setup, a husband allegedly tying up his wife over a football game rather than during a typical physical fight, pushed what might have been a local police blotter item into national headlines within days.

Richmond prosecutors charged Ward with felony abduction and misdemeanor assault on a family member. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 10. A felony abduction conviction in Virginia can carry serious prison time, though actual sentencing depends on the specific facts a judge or jury finds proven at trial.

What Virginia Law Requires to Prove Abduction

Virginia law defines abduction as using “force, intimidation or deception, and without legal justification,” to detain another person and take away their personal liberty. That detention has to stand apart from any other crime charged in the same case. Courts have ruled it cannot simply be a routine part of committing an unrelated offense.

That legal standard means prosecutors must show Ward’s alleged use of tape went beyond a brief or incidental act tied to the assault charge. Virginia courts have found that only when a detention is separate and meaningful does it legally count as abduction instead of just a piece of a lesser offense.

An Unusual Case, Not a Clear Trend

Researchers who study domestic violence often describe restraint and control of a person’s movement as common features of abuse, even when no weapon is used. Still, there is no reliable data tracking how often spouses report being physically tied up during a household argument, which makes Ward’s case stand out rather than fit a known pattern.

Ward has not been convicted, and the charges against him remain allegations that have not been proven in court. His scheduled November 10 hearing will mark the next step in a case that has already traveled far beyond Richmond, driven largely by how strange the accusation sounds on its face.