SYRACUSE — After a man discovered methamphetamine in his girlfriend’s jacket pocket, he became angry and threatened her while holding a handgun. A child was present during the altercation.

Kyle Thomas Ferguson, 24, 3301 Vernon Ave., Elkhart, is being charged with intimidation with a deadly weapon and domestic battery in the presence of a child under the age of 16.

Aliyaha Rae Whitaker, 22, 5270 E. Bayview Drive, Syracuse, is being charged with possession of meth and domestic battery in the presence of a child under the age of 16.

On Jan. 18, an officer with the Syracuse Police Department responded to a domestic battery call. When the officer arrived, Ferguson was standing at the front door holding a handgun. Upon seeing the officer, Ferguson placed the handgun on the couch. The handgun did not have a bullet in the chamber, but contained 13 cartridges in the magazine.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Ferguson had discovered a plastic bag of methamphetamine in Whitaker’s jacket pocket. Ferguson confronted Whitaker, but Whitaker attempted to take the bag of drugs from his hand. Ferguson then grabbed her by her arms, picked her up and pushed her onto the bed. Whitaker was finally able to get the bag from Ferguson’s hand when a child entered the room. Whitaker then called her mother for help.

According to Whitaker, Ferguson retrieved his handgun from the closet and slid the action back multiple times, throwing unspent rounds onto the floor. Ferguson then asked Whitaker, “Do you think I’m messing around?” Whitaker told the officer that Ferguson never pointed the gun directly at her.

Ferguson told the officer that when he confronted Whitaker about the drugs, she came at him scratching and biting. The officer was able to observe scratches and bite marks on his left bicep. Ferguson further told the officer he grabbed his gun because he saw a male subject arrive in a big lifted truck. He slid the action back to make sure it was not loaded before walking around and talking with the gun in his hand.

Ferguson was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Jan. 18, and Whitaker was booked in on Feb. 9. They both had $10,250 surety and cash bonds.