Elgin police officer arrested on domestic violence charge

An Elgin police officer has been arrested on a domestic violence charge after a 911 call for help from his girlfriend brought deputies to a home in Kershaw County, officials say.

Douglas James Barton, 41, of Bethune, was arrested and charged with domestic violence in the second degree Monday after he reportedly assaulted his girlfriend at her home in Lugoff, Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said in a statement released Monday.

Deputies were called to the home after a 911 dispatcher received a hang up call around 12:30 p.m. in which they could hear a woman screaming in the background, Matthews said. Minutes later 911 received another call and dispatched deputies to a home on Bradley Street.

According to the woman, she and Barton got into an argument which escalated. At one point, while the woman tried to call 911, Barton took her phone and smashed it with a hammer preventing her from calling for help, Matthews said. The woman said she then tried to leave her home, but Barton held her against her will, assaulted her and threw her to the ground. Using another phone, the victim again tried to call 911, but Barton took that phone and broke it as well, Matthews said.

The woman told deputies that Barton placed a pillow over her face to keep her from screaming, grabbed her around the throat and struck her in the face. Once the woman was able to get away from Barton she ran to a neighbor’s home where she called 911 again. Once on the scene, deputies spoke to the woman as well as Barton who was highly intoxicated, Matthews said.

Barton was arrested and taken to the Kershaw County Detention Center. In addition, he was suspended from his job as a police officer. Barton will appear before a Kershaw County magistrate for a bond hearing on Tuesday.

Mindy Lucas

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Elgin police officer arrested on domestic violence charge."