BEDFORD— A local man faces a felony charge following a physical altercation on Friday morning that reportedly took place while a young child was in the home.
Charles Kevin Hardin, 39, was arrested by the Lawrence County Police Department on February 20th, at a residence in the 400 block of Bartlettsville Road. He is preliminarily charged with domestic battery in the presence of a minor less than 16 years of age, a Level 6 felony.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Kenton Carter, police were dispatched to the residence after a woman, reported she had been “thrown to the floor.”
The investigation revealed that the incident began during an argument over unpaid utility bills. The woman told officers she had been cooking breakfast when the electricity went out. When she went to the bedroom to wake Hardin and inform him of the power outage, a verbal disagreement escalated into a physical struggle.
The female told police that Hardin grabbed her and forced her to the kitchen floor. During the struggle, a plate was knocked off a counter and shattered. The female further alleged that as she retreated to a back bedroom to be with her four-year-old daughter, Hardin threw a can of soda at her.
Officers noted several pieces of evidence that supported the victim’s account.
Officer Carter observed stains on the back of woman’s clothing consistent with having been on the kitchen floor. Her arm was also wet, consistent with being struck by a liquid. The soda can was found in the back bedroom doorway, exactly where the woman indicated it had landed.
Hardin initially denied throwing the soda and claimed the woman threw a plate at the refrigerator; however, officers found the broken plate five feet away from the appliance near the kitchen island.
Hardin did have red markings on his neck, which the female stated likely occurred as she attempted to push him off her while they were on the ground.
Responding officers performed a Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment with the female. Due to the high-risk nature of the answers provided, she was given information regarding the RBR Alliance, a regional organization that provides resources, shelter, and assistance with protection orders for domestic violence survivors.
Hardin was taken into custody on-site and transported to Jail. Under Indiana law, the presence of a child during a domestic battery elevates the charge from a misdemeanor to a Level 6 felony.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
