CRESTON, Iowa – An off-duty officer of the Creston Police Department was arrested Sunday for allegedly assaulting a female in his home, according to a statement released Monday by the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Eric Dennis Shawler, 48, of 306 W. Seneca St., Creston, was charged with first-offense domestic abuse assault with intent to inflict serious injury.
The incident began about 5 a.m. Sunday in the 300 block of W. Seneca St., where officers of the Creston Police Department responded to an incomplete 911 call and were met by an adult female with visible physical injuries.
According to court records, the victim told the officers that Shawler allegedly “attacked her and slammed her head into the corner of a dining room table.” The victim said she was also “thrown against a door” and “kicked several times.”
The victim “sustained at least two different blows to the head, causing a deep laceration to the scalp area as well as swelling to the side of her head,” according to court records.
Shawler was held in the Adams County Jail prior to posting a $2,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 13 in Union County District Court.
At the request of Creston Police Chief Paul Vermeer, a special agent with the Division of Criminal Investigation conducted an independent investigation into the assault, the DPS statement said. Shawler has been placed on paid administrative leave.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.