Post by WaTcHeR on Oct 25, 2006 14:24:24 GMT -5
10.25.2006 - A Griffith police officer has been charged with beating his 12-year-old stepson and his estranged wife with a leather belt in July.
Officer Todd F. Dawes, 37, a six-year veteran of the department, has been charged in Lake Superior Court with two counts of felony battery and misdemeanor domestic battery. Dawes was expected to surrender Tuesday on the charges.
Dawes' estranged wife told police she, Dawes, her son and their two children had returned home from dinner on July 14 and Dawes was upset about the 12-year-old's behavior.
The boy told Lake County police he was playing with a toy belt and struck Dawes with it. Dawes pushed the boy to the ground, removed his leather belt, folded it in half and struck the boy about six times, court records state.
Dawes' estranged wife has previously sought charges in connection with alleged domestic abuse, including in 1996 when the couple lived in Honolulu while Dawes was stationed there with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Griffith Police Chief Ron Kottka said Dawes' status remained unchanged as of Tuesday.
The case, which was filed Monday, has been assigned to the courtroom of Judge Salvador Vasquez. Bond is set at $35,000.
Each of the battery charges carries a sentence of six months to three years. The domestic battery charge carries a maximum sentence of one year.
www.post-trib.com/news/109814,grifcop.article
Officer Todd F. Dawes, 37, a six-year veteran of the department, has been charged in Lake Superior Court with two counts of felony battery and misdemeanor domestic battery. Dawes was expected to surrender Tuesday on the charges.
Dawes' estranged wife told police she, Dawes, her son and their two children had returned home from dinner on July 14 and Dawes was upset about the 12-year-old's behavior.
The boy told Lake County police he was playing with a toy belt and struck Dawes with it. Dawes pushed the boy to the ground, removed his leather belt, folded it in half and struck the boy about six times, court records state.
Dawes' estranged wife has previously sought charges in connection with alleged domestic abuse, including in 1996 when the couple lived in Honolulu while Dawes was stationed there with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Griffith Police Chief Ron Kottka said Dawes' status remained unchanged as of Tuesday.
The case, which was filed Monday, has been assigned to the courtroom of Judge Salvador Vasquez. Bond is set at $35,000.
Each of the battery charges carries a sentence of six months to three years. The domestic battery charge carries a maximum sentence of one year.
www.post-trib.com/news/109814,grifcop.article