Man arrested after allegedly taping wife to chair to watch football ‘in peace’

A 64-year-old Richmond man is facing serious legal consequences after he reportedly bound his wife to a chair with tape and left her in their basement so he could watch a football game upstairs without interruption.

The suspect, identified as Terry Ward, was taken into custody following a late-night domestic disturbance call at a residence in the 2200 block of Maplewood Avenue in Richmond.

According to a Richmond Police Department criminal complaint obtained by Virginia Statewide Incidents, officers arrived at the scene around 11:30 p.m. to investigate a domestic dispute.

Responding officers took a statement from an adult female who detailed a harrowing 30 to 45-minute ordeal. She told investigators that her husband had forcibly restrained her to a chair in the basement using tape.

The responding officer noted in the complaint that the physical evidence heavily backed her claim, documenting visible marks and sticky tape residue around both of the woman’s arms.

According to the official court documents, investigators secured an outright admission from the suspect at the scene. The officer explicitly wrote in the criminal complaint that Ward stated he “did indeed tie his wife to a chair and place her down in the basement.”

Sources familiar with the case confirmed that while his wife remained trapped downstairs, Ward went back upstairs to watch the game in complete isolation.

Following the police response, Ward was arrested and formally charged with felony abduction and misdemeanour assault on a family member. Online records from the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court indicate that his next formal court appearance is scheduled for November 10, 2026.