Deputy’s felonious assault case against wife headed to grand jury

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputy Douglas Gearhart charged with felonious assault, OVI and two counts of domestic violence

The felonious assault case of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputy who allegedly knocked out three of his wife’s teeth will be bound over to a grand jury and include a drunk driving charge.

Douglas Gearhart, 43, waived his preliminary hearing Friday in Franklin Municipal Court. Judge Rupert Ruppert said an OVI charge was added along with two counts of domestic violence and the second-degree felonious assault.

RELATED: Gearhart had protection order served against him by ex-wife

Ruppert said a civil protection order replaced the temporary protection order he had ordered against Gearhart at a Feb. 17 arraignment.

Dressed in a dark suit and with family members attending in support, Gearhart told the judge he understood the case would be bound over to be considered by a Warren County grand jury.

RELATED: Gearhart on unpaid leave

Gearhart was allegedly intoxicated Feb. 14 when he fought with his step-daughters and wife, who lost three teeth during the incident. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has said Gearhart is on unpaid leave.

A police incident report said surveillance footage from inside Gearhart’s Franklin Twp. home showed him grabbing his wife, dragging her by the hair through the kitchen and slamming her head onto the edge of the kitchen island.

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The report also said 911 calls from Gearhart’s residence indicated that Gearhart returned home intoxicated and “was hitting everyone in the house.”

“Our step-dad is beating our mom right now,” one 911 caller told a dispatcher at about 6:40 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. “Oh my gosh, I knew this was going to happen.”

MORE: Domestic violence victims may get tool to hide public records

Gearhart was apprehended by Warren County Sheriff’s deputies after driving away from his residence. He told a deputy that all deputies did in Warren County was “drive around in a (expletive) cornfield.”

Born and raised in West Carrollton but listed as a 1992 Dixie High School graduate in his application, Gearhart first worked as a police officer in Middletown from 1996 to 2001, when he joined the MCSO, according to defense attorney Ed Perry.

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