NASHUA – Once the prosecutor established his argument in court Tuesday as to why Nashua assault suspect Dana Tassie should be housed on preventive detention, Tassie’s attorney countered that the police affidavit “left out some important parts” – such as, he said, the fact it was Tassie, not the alleged victim, who called police.

“He called police because the alleged victim smashed his phone,” attorney Carl Olson said during Tassie’s arraignment and bail hearing in Hillsborough County Superior Court-South.

Olson added that Tassie actually called police twice, and police, after interviewing him regarding the alleged victim’s assertion that he strangled her, released him without charging him.

But based on the woman’s allegations, police drew up a warrant for Tassie’s arrest on one count of second-degree assault – domestic violence, a Class B felony that accuses him of strangling the woman by allegedly putting her in a headlock, during which she allegedly “could not breathe,” according to police reports.

But Tassie told police it was she who initiated the physical contact, and that he allegedly put her “in an apparent chokehold” in an attempt to get his phone back from her.

After hearing the sides’ arguments, Judge William Delker adopted Olson’s recommendation that Tassie be freed on personal recognizance bail, with conditions that include he have no contact with the woman, stay at least 100 yards from her, return the key he has to her apartment, report to his parole officer promptly, and continue the treatment he is currently undergoing.

According to Assistant County Attorney Brian Greklek-McKeon, who prosecuted the case, Tassie has a criminal record of several years that includes the charge of delivery of articles to prisoners, which typically accuses the suspect of bringing contraband, such as drugs, into prison or jail.

Tassie also has charges of theft, resisting arrest, reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, along with charges from an incident in which he allegedly slipped his handcuffs while in custody in a state police cruiser, then allegedly tried to drive away before police were able to stop him, Greklek-McKeon said.

According to Olson, when police contacted Tassie to inform him of the warrant, “he was on his way to the (police) station when (an officer) pulled him over. They apparently couldn’t wait” until he arrived at headquarters, Olson added.

Police said the alleged altercation stemmed from an argument that began when the woman confronted Tassie after finding communications on his phone between him and a former girlfriend.

The nature of Tassie’s relationship with the alleged victim wasn’t clear, but when asked, Tassie described it as a friendship rather than an intimate relationship.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, or at dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.