Darnell "Superchef" Ferguson's wife says her words were 'twisted' by police.

The wife of Food Network host and former Louisville restaurateur Darnell "Superchef" Ferguson is alleging her "words were twisted" by police after Ferguson was arrested on multiple charges, including felony counts of first-degree burglary and strangulation, in connection to a domestic incident in January. But the criminal case against him is still active, as confirmed by the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for Jefferson County.

Ferguson, 37, was arraigned in Jefferson County Circuit Court in February over allegations he assaulted his estranged wife while attempting to drop off their children at her apartment.

"Darnell and I have had our issues and we made every effort not to let it impact our family and loved ones, particularly our children," Tatahda Ferguson wrote in a news release sent by her attorney's office. "I reacted in the heat of the moment after we had an intense argument, and called the police for a matter that really didn't warrant their involvement."

According to court documents, investigators with the St. Matthews Police have said Tatahda Ferguson said she awoke on Jan. 2 to see Darnell Ferguson inside her home without permission.

During a pretrial hearing in late January, Detective Mark Richardson testified as part of the law enforcement team who responded to the incident. Richardson interviewed Tatahda Ferguson that day, who claims she woke up to Darnell Ferguson inside her home without permission.

According to Richardson, she said Darnell Ferguson was angry with her about not returning his phone calls. Court documents allege Darnell Ferguson began to yell and punch walls, causing damage to the home. He is accused of then telling his wife that he would kill her and grabbing her by the neck, restraining her breathing and causing her to lose consciousness.

Tatahda Ferguson now says she was never in any physical danger and the only time that Darnell Ferguson touched her that day was to push her off of him. No strangulation or physical assault occurred, she said. She added that there was also no burglary or trespassing that day.

A protective order was issued Jan. 2 against Darnell Ferguson, according to records from Jefferson County Family Court. Tatahda Ferguson said she was pressured into filing the protective order by police.

"I would have spoken sooner but the officers and legal system manipulated the situation," Tatahda Ferguson wrote in the statement.

Darnell Ferguson's criminal case is still active, Erran Huber, the public information officer with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, confirmed with the Courier Journal. Huber said the office was only made aware of her new statements after reports of the press release were published by local media.

Huber declined to make any further official statement on this particular case. But he said generally, as a standard of practice, requests to amend or dismiss charges must be approved by a case's assigned prosecutor.

"This approach is important because it takes the responsibility for prosecuting defendants off the victim’s shoulders and makes it the prosecuting attorney’s responsibility, where it legally belongs," Huber wrote. "It also means that in any case that is being prosecuted, a victim cannot be legally 'pressured' into dropping the charges."

While the ultimate decision is under the discretion of the prosecutor, "the victim’s opinion is important, and the prosecuting attorney will take those wishes into account when making decisions regarding the case," Huber added.

Shortly after Darnell Ferguson was indicted by a grand jury, his legal counsel Krsna Tibbs released a statement.

“Darnell is looking forward to being able to have his day in court and presenting to the jury of his peers, evidence that will show he is innocent of the charges," Tibbs said. "The law clearly states that the indictment does not decipher guilt or innocence."

Ferguson became widely known as a restaurant owner after opening Superchefs and Tha Drippin Crab in Louisville, but both locations are now closed . Ferguson had said he wanted to focus on his television career, which includes appearing in and hosting several shows on Food Network, including "Superchef Grudge Match," which launched its second season in December .

The Courier Journal has reached out to Food Network for comment on Ferguson's arrest and has not received a response.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Darnell "Superchef" Ferguson's wife says her words were 'twisted' by police.