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Children Running From House When Police Arrive At Domestic Fight

Last updated on Sunday, June 3, 2012

(JASONVILLE) - When Jasonville Police Officer Ryan VanHorn pulled up to a South Levy Street residence and saw three crying children run out of the house, he knew this was not going to be a normal domestic battery case.

"I observed three children run out of the residence and run towards the side of the home. The children were crying and very hysterical. Christopher Fields also ran from the residence and was screaming at the children. Christopher's demeanor was very aggressive," VanHorn wrote in a probable cause affidavit filed in Greene Circuit Court on Wednesday.

Nick Schneider, of the Greene County Daily World reports, the children included: two 13-year-olds and an 11-year-old. A 5-year-old was in the home asleep when the altercation took place.

As VanHorn got out of his patrol vehicle, Fields came into the middle of the street and stood in front of the police vehicle.

"Christopher's fists were clinched and he was breathing very rapid. Christopher was bleeding from his mouth and it (blood) was running down the side of his face. It was very clear that Christopher was extremely agitated and aggressive," VanHorn wrote in the court document. "I ordered Christopher to put his hands on my vehicle. Christopher refused and stated 'probably not'."

The suspect was then ordered to the ground three times, and he refused each time.
VanHorn then deployed his Taser weapon and Fields was then taken into custody on a preliminary charge of domestic battery in the presence of a minor - a class D felony and public intoxication, a misdemeanor.

Fields failed field sobriety tests and refused to be tested by a Portable Breath Test (PBT). He also refused to be interviewed by Jasonville Assistant Police Chief James Gadberry.

Once Fields was in custody, VanHorn was able to talk with the victim, who said she was Fields' girlfriend and they live together.

The victim advised VanHorn that Fields was drunk and came into the house and spit beer on her daughter's clothes. He also allegedly hit the girlfriend in the back of the head causing her to fall to the floor and struck her in the face while she was in the kitchen doing the dishes.

The victim told police that Fields was supposed to be "watching" the children while she was at work, but when she returned, they were left home alone.

She also alleged that Fields sustained his injury when he attempted to go around a chair and tripped over it and hit his mouth on the kitchen counter.

The three oldest children told police they saw Fields hit the victim in the back of the head and in the face. They ran to a neighbor's house during the altercation and the neighbor called police.

Fields, who posted $4,500 cash bond and was released from jail, will be in Greene Circuit Court at 1 p.m. on June 11 for an initial hearing on the charges.

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