Dad charged with battery resulting in bodily injury; son had "extensive bruising" (Evansville, Illinois)

Dad ALLAN GOODWIN (who is also a sergeant with the Evansville Police Department) has been charged with battery resulting in bodily injury for "allegedly" beating his son. They boy has "extensive bruising" to his back.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/mar/08/court-paper-describes-sons-beating/

Police sergeant upset by document describing son's beating
Injury photos upset police sergeant: report
By Lydia X. McCoy
Posted March 8, 2010 at 11:34 p.m.

A veteran Evansville Police Department sergeant, Allan Goodwin, was officially charged with battery resulting in bodily injury, a class D felony, after he allegedly struck his son.

An affidavit described bruises to the boy's back.

The son of a veteran Evansville Police Department officer had "extensive bruising" to his back and other minor bruises on his body, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

Sgt. Allan Goodwin, 57, has been charged with battery resulting in bodily injury, a class D felony, in the case. He made his initial appearance on Monday morning in front of Superior Court Judge Margaret Lloyd.

Goodwin is free on a $500 cash bond and is scheduled to appear in court again in April.

The department placed Goodwin on administrative leave, which is standard procedure when criminal charges are filed against an officer.

According to the police report, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office was notified on Thursday after the mother of the child's friend contacted the school and said Goodwin's son came to her house about 11 p.m. Wednesday "because he had been beaten by his father and wanted to get out of the house."

School personnel had the child go to the nurse's office where a physical examination was conducted.

"Upon exam, the nurse located extensive bruising to the back (of the child) and various other minor bruises about his body. The nurse asked (the child) about the injuries and he told her that his father ... had caused the injuries," Sgt. Doug Daza wrote in the report.

"He said he and his father had a confrontation at their home ... the evening prior about various topics including curfew and grades, which ended in his father striking him repeatedly several times."

The report said the child spent the night at his friend's house.

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. said the school system has guidelines for employees in cases where a child may have been abused.

"If any school employee feels that either ... by looking at a child something has happened or maybe the child has even told them something has happened, then we file a report with Child Protective Services," said Marsha Jackson, EVSC's communications director.

Jackson said teachers with suspicions of child abuse are instructed to report it to their principal, who are responsible for notifying Child Protective Services within 24 hours.

The boy was taken to the sheriff's post, where he was interviewed.

"He told sheriff's personnel the same version of events he told the school nurse," the report stated.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Goodwin told deputies Friday he and his son quarreled often about grades, curfew and who the child associates with, and that he recently had been grounded for his behavior.

When the boy returned home Wednesday night, an argument began, during which Goodwin "lost his temper and struck (the child) approximately four or five times with an open hand. Goodwin said he hit (the child) in the face, shoulder and arm," which corresponded with the boy's injuries, according to the report.

"Goodwin expressed his remorse for his actions and when shown photos of (his son's) injuries, became visibly upset and said he did not realize the extent of the injury he had caused."

Staff writer Thomas B. Langhorne contributed to this report.