LENOIR CITY, Tenn. — The Lenoir City Police Department suspended an officer after he was charged with domestic assault, according to court documents. The charge comes after an incident on April 15, when he was asked to leave a retirement party for getting too drunk, according to court records.
The arrest warrant for Christopher Law said he started arguing with people at the party, so his coworkers called someone to come pick him up and take him home. The warrant said a family member arrived to pick him up before he started yelling expletives at them.
The following day, the arrest record said Law got into an argument with the same family member and followed them into the bathroom. He punched the bathroom wall and the shower curtain near them, and the warrant said he then shoved them before yelling in their face asking them to hit him.
According to the responding officer's affidavit in the arrest warrant, the victim said Law then smacked their hand as they held a phone because he thought the victim was recording him.
"Christopher then began punching himself in the face 3 or 4 times," the arrest warrant said. The victim said Law told them to contact the police because they wouldn't believe the victim.
The warrant said Law then tried to contact the victim 27 times after they left the house. The victim said they were going to report the incident to the Loudon Police Department. The warrant said the victim feared for their life and the life of a child.
Lenoir City Chief of Police Don White said Law has been working for the department for around two years. The Loudon County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.
In 2023, Law was recognized as the VFW Lenoir City Police Department Officer of the Year, according to a post by the police department on social media. He also participated in an annual "Hunks in Heels" event meant to raise money for Iva's Place, a local nonprofit helping survivors of domestic assault.
Iva's Place said in a statement to 10News that it ran a background check on Law before the event and didn't find anything in his record. It said it severed ties with him after learning about the domestic violence charge.
On the event's website, Law said he wanted to be head of the police department's narcotics unit to help provide a "safe environment for families within Loudon and surrounding counties." He also said he received an Officer of the Year award in 2020 and a "Loudon County Hometown Favorite Police Officer" award in 2021.
"In my career I've responded to hundreds of Domestic Violence related calls. I have encountered hundreds of victims; a lot of whom have been scared to get away from the situation they are in. Maybe someone in the audience is a victim of domestic violence, if that's the case I hope I can aspire them to break free of the environment they are in and realize it's time to make a change," he said on the event's website.
Scottie DeLashmit, president of the Tennessee State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, issued a statement on Thursday.
"While Christopher Law is not a member of the FOP, we feel as though the legal process should play out and his guilt or innocence be proven in court. We do not believe anyone is above the law. Law enforcement officers, like all persons, are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," he said.
There are resources available for survivors of domestic violence. The McNabb Center offers a 24-hour crisis hotline for people who need immediate help in East Tennessee. It is available at 865-637-8000.
The YWCA's Victim Advocacy Program provides assistance to victims by issuing orders of protection, accompanying victims to court, conducting danger assessments, and developing safety plans.
Iva's Place is a nonprofit that has served domestic violence victims since 1991. Based in Lenoir City, the organization offers crisis intervention, evidence-based and trauma-focused therapy, safety planning, parenting education and more.