By Associated Press - Friday, May 15, 2020

RICHWOOD, W.Va. (AP) - A West Virginia police chief has been charged with domestic battery and suspended from his job, officials said Friday.

A criminal complaint says Richwood Police Chief Charles Burkhamer Jr. grabbed and scratched his wife’s arm while trying to remove her from a home on Wednesday. He was charged with a misdemeanor, arraigned and released on a $2,500 bond the same day, according to court documents.

Richwood Mayor Chris Drennen said Burkhamer was suspended immediately after he was arrested. A police committee will meet Monday to determine additional actions, the mayor wrote in an email.



A court clerk said Burkhamer has not yet hired an attorney. His court records did not list a phone number.

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