Thursday, January 07, 2010

Officer Thomas Jones Fired After Punching Wife

A Boynton Beach police officer acquitted of punching his wife and nearly strangling her after a night of drinking at a strip club last year was fired Wednesday.

Officer Thomas Jones was acquitted of strangulation and domestic battery charges stemming from the Jan. 31, 2009, incident in April.

In Jones' termination letter, City Manager Kurt Bressner said that although Jones was acquitted of the charges, "the legal standard of proof for a criminal case is different from the standard of proof for a disciplinary action as in this matter."

According to an internal affairs report, Jones became annoyed with his wife's continued questioning about where he had been, who brought him home and where the vehicle or the keys were, so he punched her in the face, knocked her to the floor and repeatedly kicked her.

The report said Jones then called her names, cursed at her and told her how much he hated her before placing her in a chokehold as she tried to get up from the floor.

Bressner wrote in his termination letter that he was concerned about Jones' insistence that his wife had been unfaithful. Bressner wrote that Jones stated he found out about the infidelity from his mother after being released from jail.

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