Man dead after domestic incident during holidays

— A domestic incident Christmas Eve led to the death of a Benton County man on Christmas Day, according to information from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

Jeff Mahon, 30, of 12035 Dickson Road near Gravette, died Dec. 25 of a self-inflicted gunshot after the sheriff ’s SWAT team surrounded his house.

Authorities said the incident began Dec. 24 when Mahon attacked his wife and held her in the house overnight. The woman went to a neighbor’s house Saturday and called the sheriff ’s office, and responding deputies found signs of abuse on the woman, according to information from the sheriff ’s office. She gave deputies a key to the house. Deputies then went to the residence and knocked on the door.

Mahon did not answer the door, but deputies could hear movement inside the house. Deputies unlocked the door to find Mahon on the couch with an assault rifle, according to Capt. Mike Jones, head of the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division. Mahon started toward the door and deputies retreated to cover, Jones said. Mahon closed the door, then deputies heard a gunshot.

Deputies were unsure whether Mahon was firing at them or himself. SWAT members sent in a robotic camera and found Mahon dead, Jones said.

News, Pages 6 on 01/05/2011