'Swamp People' Trapper Joe Arrest: Punched Girlfriend
A star on the History Channel's "Swamp People," Trapper Joe, was arrested Thursday for attacking his girlfriend with a lit cigarette and punching her.
Legally known as Noces Joseph LaFont Jr., the reality television star was arrested for assault and battery and booked at a local police station in Orange County, Fla.
The arrest report reveals that a witness told police that Trapper Joe and his girlfriend were arguing at Buena Vista Hotel and Spa just after midnight and appeared inebriated, according to TMZ.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
According to the witness, Trapper Joe punched his companion in the chest with a closed fist before grabbing her arms and shaking her violently.
No reports indicate her name, but Joe's girlfriend told police that Joe had received a call on his cell phone and when she asked who was calling he became enraged. She then reached for his phone when he tried to burn her with a lit cigarette.
Ahead of his arrest, Joe vehemently denied the charges. Despite his protests, police took him into custody.
A representative for the "Swamp People" star has not commented, and no other information has been provided.
"Swamp People" remains a popular series on the History Channel network and follows the descendants of French refugees who live in the nearly inhospitable lands of America's largest swamp.
Recently, the series took another blow. Alligator hunter and "Swamp People" favorite Mitchell Guist was found dead in May. The Louisiana native died of natural causes.
Guist appeared on the reality series alongside his brother, Glenn. The show follows alligator hunters as they endure storms and wade through the marshes. The brothers were known to hunt on the Conway Bayou where they once sought a prehistoric fish called alligator gar. The Guists were often faced with challenges such as floods, damage to their home, and hunger.
"Swamp People" airs on the History Channel Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST. The reality show set in Louisiana has entered its third season.
