HOLDEN — Holden Police Department Chief Trenton Neal, 29, has been placed on administrative leave while he is under investigation for a domestic assault charge.
Neal was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 30.
MSHP will be conducting the investigation.
Neal has been charged with a class E felony charge of third-degree domestic assault.
As the investigation is pending, HPD Assistant Chief Matt Carter will serve as the acting chief. Carter said HPD will continue to operate normally as the investigation is underway.
According to the Johnson County Circuit Court’s probable cause statement, Neal is accused of knowingly causing physical pain to his spouse.
In the statement, it describes a physical altercation that allegedly occurred between Neal and his spouse following a verbal confrontation on Monday, March 30.
Neal is alleged to have placed his hands around his spouse’s neck and shoved her head into a wall before striking her on the left side of her head with a framing hammer.
The victim claimed she went unconscious after being struck and did not recall if Neal continued to strike her. After regaining consciousness, the victim said she called a friend who reported the incident to law enforcement.
A trooper conducting an investigation reported the victim had obvious swelling on her left cheek below the left eye, a 2-inch diameter circular bruise forming on the left side of her face below the temple and blood blisters on her neck in addition to a swollen finger believed to have been from a prior incident.
The victim told law enforcement that Neal has a history of abusing her and has assaulted her multiple times each month over the past two years.
The victim also claims Neal has threatened to take their child, telling her that he is a police chief. She told law enforcement she feared she would lose her child and that Neal would harm or kill her if she sought help.
A trooper stated he made contact with Neal inside his residence and asked him what had occurred on March 30.
The trooper states Neal claimed he and his spouse went to a Warrensburg restaurant, picked up their child, returned home and went to bed. The trooper states when he asked Neal about how his spouse received bruises on her face, Neal said he had no idea.
The trooper states after he arrested Neal on charges of domestic assault, Neal made an inconsistent statement about his earlier claims but did not elaborate.
