The Monticello Police Department responded to an assault report at the Specialty Eye Care Clinic after an incident involving a disgruntled patient and a local doctor escalated into violence and an attempted kidnapping.
According to reports, Dr. Scott Claycomb told officers he was approached in the clinic’s parking lot by an irate patient who began striking him with a stick. During the assault, the suspect allegedly ordered Dr. Claycomb to get into his vehicle, but the victim refused. The suspect then fled the scene.
Shortly after the incident, the suspect was located and arrested in Sheridan, Arkansas.
Following an investigation by the Monticello Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, detectives uncovered evidence indicating the suspect had intent to kidnap the victim.
The suspect, 80-year-old James Chatham of Sheridan, was taken into custody and charged with Battery in the Second Degree and Attempted Kidnapping.
Chatham made his first court appearance on July 9, 2025, and bond was set at $250,000.
The case remains under investigation.
