Dad charged with assaulting teenage son (Springfield, Missouri)

Notice that Daddy "allegedly" assaulted his teen son when the son intervened to keep daddy from hitting the boy's stepmother. After Daddy was arrested, both the step and the son filed for emergency orders of protection.

But of course, Daddy was released almost immediately, and started harrassing the both of them almost as soon as he got out.

Why don't the authorities keep these guys in jail?

And what happened to this boy's mother? Is she deceased? Or is this a case of an abuser daddy who got custody? I'm sure there's lots on interesting backstory on this one that's not being told.

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20111012/NEWS01/110120369/1002/SPORTS/?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Man accused of assaulting teenage son
Authorities charge Rick J. Finnegan with child abuse.
5:30 AM, Oct. 12, 2011

Written by Kathryn Wall
News-Leader

A Springfield teen is recovering with two black eyes and a suspected broken nose after allegedly being punched in the face multiple times by his father.

Rick J. Finnegan was facing a single child abuse charge, but authorities added two additional charges after Finnegan allegedly got out of jail and almost immediately tried to contact his wife and son from the next-door neighbor's yard.

According to the probable cause statement in the criminal case, Finnegan is accused of being intoxicated and punching his son in the face multiple times on Friday.

The 16-year-old son said the family was cleaning out a refrigerator when Finnegan began yelling at his wife, the boy's stepmother. The teen said he threw a rag at Finnegan to keep him from hitting the woman.

After police arrived, an officer standing with Finnegan on the front porch of the home said he called out to his neighbors, who asked what was going on.

"To which Rick replied, 'My son threw a bleach rag at me, so I beat the (expletive) out of him! But I'm a better boxer than he is!" court documents said.

"Rick did not express any regret or remorse for his actions toward (his son). Rick said (his son) should not have thrown the rag at him," the probable cause statement said.

Finnegan has been charged with child abuse from that incident.

Finnegan's wife and son both got emergency orders of protection against Finnegan while he was in jail, court documents said.

On Saturday, police again arrived to find Finnegan next door to his home.

Finnegan's son told police that Finnegan had tried to call them on the phone and later Finnegan stood at a chain link fence on the neighbor's property shouting to get their attention.

Finnegan is now in Greene County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bond. If released, Finnegan has been ordered not to come within 2,000 feet of his wife's or son's work, home or school.