Authorities in Wisconsin have brought charges against a police officer who allegedly beat and choked his 7-year-old daughter for staying awake instead of taking a nap.
According to PEOPLE, the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Frank Williams, is with the Milwaukee Police Department. The department said he has since been suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
The complaint stated that on January 17, officers with the department where Williams works, went to a local hospital to investigate a child abuse report. Williams’ 7-year-old daughter is said to have told the responding officers that she suffered bruises after her father “whooped” her with a belt. The minor, whose injuries were non-fatal, also told the officers that the alleged assault happened at their home. The bruises on the 7-year-old’s body were also said to be visible.
The 7-year-old also spoke with officers the next day, telling them that her father allegedly beat and choked her on January 16. She claimed Williams physically abused her because she had stayed awake instead of taking a nap, the complaint stated. Besides allegedly beating her with the belt, the minor also claimed her father “choked” her, adding that she started coughing as she “couldn’t breathe.” She also claimed that was not the first time her father had choked her, per PEOPLE.
The 7-year-old said Williams then used a belt to beat her 4-year-old brother. She also said she heard her brother crying and describing the alleged beating as painful. Williams has since been charged with felony child abuse as well as strangulation and suffocation.
“The Milwaukee Police Department holds all members to the highest degree of integrity and if any member violates the code of conduct, they will be held accountable,” the department said in a statement. “He is fully suspended. An internal investigation is pending.”
