A Wisconsin police officer, identified as 30-year-old Frank Williams from the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), is now facing serious charges of felony child abuse. The allegations include beating and choking a 7-year-old girl, as detailed in court documents and reported by local media.
Williams has been charged with one count of felony physical abuse of a child and one count of felony strangulation and suffocation, as indicated in a criminal complaint shared by WISN, a local station.
The MPD released a statement on January 18 confirming the arrest of an officer involved in a child abuse case, placing him on full suspension, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The victim, a relative of Williams, remains unnamed, and as of Saturday night, her condition was not disclosed. Getty obtained a photo of a police vehicle with flashing lights, highlighting the gravity of the charges against Williams.
Newsweek reached out to the MPD on Saturday for comment and an update on the case, and at the time of publication, it was unclear whether Williams had secured legal representation.
The incident came to light when MPD Sergeant Zachery Thoms responded to a report of child abuse at the Milwaukee campus of Children’s Wisconsin on January 17. Thoms observed multiple bruises on the 7-year-old victim’s thigh and arm during his meeting with her at the hospital.
In the interview with Thoms, the child revealed that Williams had used a thick belt to “whoop” her the day before for not taking a nap.
The criminal complaint alleges that after hitting her with the belt, Williams then choked the girl by putting his hands around her throat, causing her difficulty breathing. The girl claimed it was not the first time Williams had choked her.
During the incident, the girl ran into the hallway to escape, where a woman and a 4-year-old boy witnessed the encounter.
The woman allegedly told the girl to stop moving while Williams, undeterred, continued the assault. The girl reported that after beating her, Williams turned his aggression towards the 4-year-old boy, who could be heard crying during the police interview.
The criminal complaint did not identify the woman mentioned by the girl, and details about how the girl reached the hospital or the condition of the 4-year-old boy were not provided.
Charges were formally filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, and Williams was released from custody on Saturday morning, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
Williams, who joined the MPD as a recruit in 2016, is now facing serious legal consequences for the alleged child abuse incident. Newsweek remains dedicated to challenging conventional wisdom and uncovering connections in the pursuit of common ground.
