Columbia police officer arrested on domestic violence charges

A Columbia Police officer is facing domestic battery charges after he was accused of grabbing, pushing and elbowing his wife in the jaw, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

Charles Starling, 37, is charged with second-degree domestic violence. He is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, where he awaits a bond hearing Friday afternoon.

Starling was arrested on Thursday after investigators determined he was the primary aggressor in an incident involving his wife, said Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, in a news release by his agency.

“The victim attempted to avoid an altercation by asking Mr. Starling to leave the residence and a struggle began,” Koon said.

This story was originally published July 28, 2017 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Columbia police officer arrested on domestic violence charges."