A deputy for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was removed from his post after he was arrested yesterday in Volusia County on charges of aggravated child abuse.
In an emailed news update, the office said deputy Tristan Chattic, 39, has been relieved of all law enforcement duties without pay while the criminal case is under way. He was an employee of the Sheriff for almost nine years.
“Once the criminal proceedings are complete, an OCSO administrative investigation will be conducted,” the release said.
According to a charging affidavit obtained by the Sentinel, a Volusia County deputy responded to the Fish Memorial Hospital at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday in reference to a domestic violence call.
When he arrived he met Chattic’s wife who said she feared her 13-year-old daughter was injured during an incident with Chattic.
In the affidavit, witnesses said Chattic, who was upset with the teenager, struck her on the left side of her face and strangled her with one hand while tugging on her hair with the other hand. After she fell to the floor, Chattic allegedly stepped on her back and hit her with his belt.
The responding deputy from Volusia County observed light swelling on the teenager’s face. There were no visible injuries around her neck or the back of her head, but her braids made examining her scalp difficult, the deputy reported.
The mother told the deputy she wanted to intervene, but Chattic “was in a rage.” He “went too far with his punishment,” she said in the affidavit.
As a deputy headed to Chattic’s doorstep to collect his statement, Chattic told an investigator over the phone he was on his way to his mother’s house in Oviedo.
He met with the Volusia County investigator later in the evening and said he attempted to scare his wife’s daughter for being disobedient. He told the deputy he recalled grabbing her by her arm and the back of her shirt to “gently” pull her down to the ground.
He said she was still being defiant so he had her lie face down on the couch to hit her with a belt. Attempts to block the blows were made by the victim, according to the affidavit. In an effort to stop her from blocking the belt strikes, Chattic told the investigator he used his feet and legs to block her arms.
When the Volusia County investigator asked to see footage from a video camera inside of the house that would have captured the incident, Chattic provided four to five days of video footage from outside of the house, the affidavit said.
“Given the statements provided by all involved and the suspicious nature of the camera recordings being completely missing, Tristan was placed under arrest,” the affidavit said.
Court records show Chattic spent two days in jail before posting a $5,000 bail. His arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 29.
“These are extremely serious criminal allegations. At the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we hold our deputies to the highest ethical standards whether they are on duty or off duty,” said Sheriff John Mina in a statement. “I have a zero tolerance policy toward child abuse — or any form of domestic violence. These allegations will be thoroughly investigated and the results of that investigation will be made public.”
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Source: orlandosentinel
