KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Update (3/14/24): Greeneville Police Department Chief Steve Spano said the city's assistant police chief is back on duty after a jury acquitted him of a domestic violence charge he was facing.
The TBI said in March 2023 a Greene County grand jury indicted Stephen Hixson, the assistant chief of the Greeneville Police Department, for simple assault. According to the TBI, agents began investigating allegations that Hixson had assaulted his stepdaughter after an argument at a home on Sunnyside Ridge Drive in Greeneville on Dec. 10, 2022.
On March 14, 2024, Chief Spano announced that a jury found Hixson not guilty on all charges.
"The trial by jury emphasizes the importance of a fair judicial process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Spano said. "The outcome reaffirms his innocence throughout the entire process and continues to show the importance of a fair and impartial judicial system in addressing allegations of misconduct."
Greeneville city manager Todd Smith placed Hixson back on full-duty status after the trial.
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(Update 3/13/23): The TBI said Stephen Hixson turned himself in after a grand jury indicted him for simple assault. You can read more at this link.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating an alleged assault involving Greeneville Police Department Assistant Chief Stephen Hixson, the agency said.
District Attorney General Dan Armstrong requested the TBI investigate the allegation, according to the TBI.
The complaint was filed with the Greene County Sheriff's Department, according to GPD.
"Our office will cooperate with the TBI in their investigation in any way that we can," GPD said.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.