East Chicago Man Charged After Woman Beaten and Threatened with Handgun
Hammond- An East Chicago man has been charged after police say a woman was severely beaten, choked, and threatened with a handgun during an argument inside a Hammond residence early Friday morning.
According to court documents, the incident occurred around 3:00 a.m. on October 3, 2025, at a home in the 7600 block of Columbia Avenue in Hammond. The woman told investigators the man became violent during a dispute over money, punching her in the face, striking her with a turquoise-colored handgun, choking her, and threatening to kill her while pointing the weapon at her.
Documents state the man also took her phone and keys to prevent her from calling for help or leaving the home. When officers arrived, he allegedly held her down and covered her mouth to keep her from speaking.
Investigators reported observing extensive bruising and swelling to the woman’s face, neck, and chest, along with a cut above her left eyebrow and broken blood vessels in one eye.
The suspect, identified as Tommie Lee Smith, 37, of East Chicago, was located inside the home and taken into custody without further incident.
Charges filed October 4,2025:
• Criminal Confinement While Armed with a Deadly Weapon – Level 3 Felony
• Domestic Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon – Level 5 Felony
• Domestic Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury – Level 5 Felony
• Intimidation: Defendant Draws or Uses a Deadly Weapon – Level 5 Felony
• Strangulation – Level 6 Felony
• Interference with Reporting of a Crime – Class A Misdemeanor
Lodged in the Lake County Jail.
