Wisc. Police Officer Accused of Beating, Choking Daughter Because She Wouldn’t Take a Nap: Docs

Frank Williams was arrested on charges of felony child abuse as well as strangulation and suffocation

A Wisconsin police officer was arrested last week after authorities accused him of beating and choking his daughter because she wouldn’t take a nap, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by PEOPLE.

Frank Williams, 30, has been charged with felony child abuse as well as strangulation and suffocation, according to the complaint. Williams, who is an officer with the Milwaukee Police Department, has been suspended and an internal investigation is ongoing, police said in a statement to PEOPLE.

It’s unclear if Williams has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

On Jan. 17, Williams’ colleagues at the Milwaukee Police Department responded to a local hospital in response to a child abuse investigation. The 7-year-old girl, who sustained non-fatal injuries, alleged that her father, Williams, “whooped” her with a belt earlier that day at their home and left her with bruises, the complaint states. A sergeant who responded to the scene allegedly observed seven to eight bruises on the girl’s thigh.

In an interview the following day at the Racine Child Advocacy Center, the girl claimed Williams gave her a "whooping" all over her body on Jan. 16 because she was supposed to nap but stayed awake, according to the complaint. The child further alleged that her father beat her on the bed with his belt, then wrapped his hands around her throat and "choked" her. She claimed she was coughing because she “couldn’t breathe,” and that this was not the first time he had allegedly choked her.

According to the complaint, the 7-year-old said she was left with bruises on her arms and legs from being struck and during the interview, rolled up her sleeve to show a long linear bruise on her forearm. After the alleged beating, the girl claimed Williams also repeatedly struck her 4-year-old brother with a belt. She reportedly heard her younger brother crying and saying that it hurt, per the complaint.

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Williams was subsequently arrested and the charges were referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. If convicted on either of the two criminal offenses he has been charged with, Williams faces up to six years in prison and a fine totaling $10,000.

“The Milwaukee Police Department holds all members to the highest degree of integrity and if any member violates the code of conduct, they will be held accountable,” police said in a statement. “He is fully suspended. An internal investigation is pending.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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Read the original article on People.