Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Officer Travis Rector Arrested for Domestic Violence

Hendersonville Police Officer Travis Rector was arrested over the weekend and charged with assaulting his wife.

Rector, 29, was arrested Saturday and charged with hitting Kelli Rector in the eye, according to court records.

The police officer turned himself in to authorities Saturday, according to Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Charlie McDonald.

Rector was released from jail on Saturday on a $500 unsecured bond.

State law allows law enforcement to keep anyone arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in jail for 48 hours. Rector was not required to serve the 48-hour sentence after Judge David Fox waived that requirement by telephone Saturday night, according to court records.

Fox said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon that he treated Rector as he would have any other defendant with these charges.

“I received a call from Mr. Rector’s attorney on Saturday,” he said. “He gave me his version of the incident. I told him if he would have the magistrate judge call me, I would act accordingly. The magistrate indicated there was the charge, the woman had been poked in the eye and that she was not keen on taking out charges, but once the officers saw the mark they took out charges.”

Fox said because Rector had no prior record, the couple were not living together at the time and due to the nature of the incident, he waived the 48-hour provision.

Rector has been suspended from the police department with pay while an investigation is conducted, Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake said.

Rector is slated to appear in court on April 16.

He started working with the Hendersonville Police Department on May 3, 2003, according to city Human Resource Manager David Sapp.

Rector’s current salary is $37,078. He has been placed on a non-disciplinary suspension.

No comments: