 A Pikefield man is facing felony charges after an incident where police say he strangled his girlfriend. Last week, a grand jury indicted 36-year-old Dyke Newsom after hearing testimony from the Kentucky State Police. Trooper Colt Stumbo brought it in one day last week, made us aware of the situation, and Shelley Lowe had filed a charge in district court. Trooper Stumbo picked it up because he had been doing an investigation. Mr. Newsom was strangulation of Ms. Lowe, a sought-forth for other injuries he caused to her, and also a terroristic threatening because Mr. Newsom allegedly threatened Ms. Lowe that if he went to jail, he would kill her or have her killed. Assistant Pike Commonwealth attorney Melissa Goodman says that Newsom is the first person her office has charged with strangulation since it went into effect in June. The strangulation law is a new offense that had just gone on the books and became effective June 27. This incident with Ms. Lowe and Mr. Newsom occurred July 9, so fortunately this law was there in place to help her and just been on the books for about two weeks. You have to impede somebody's ability to breathe by either choking them and that is by applying pressure to their neck or covering their mouth and nose with a hand or something like that, anyway, impeding their ability to breathe. Ms. Lowe was actually strangled to the point of unconsciousness and she was taken to the hospital. The strangulation charge carries a penalty between five and ten years, if convicted.