East Ridge: Man charged with abuse, accused of hitting 5-year-old girl

A 37-year-old man has been charged with child abuse after accusations that he hit a 5-year-old girl.

David Callahan, of East Ridge, was arrested Sunday at the Superior Creek Lodge at 1401 Mack Smith Road, said East Ridge police spokesman Officer Erik Hopkins. He was charged with child abuse, criminal impersonation and felon in possession of a firearm, Hopkins said.

About 6:30 p.m. Sunday, East Ridge officers were called to Superior Creek Lodge and found that Callahan and another man had been in a heated argument over money, Hopkins said.

The victim told officers that Callahan had struck him and his 5-year-old daughter, Hopkins said, and both victims had abrasions consistent with that claim.

Callahan originally gave officers the name the false name of “David Stittem,” an effort to conceal a pre-existing warrant for Callahan’s arrest, Hopkins said. The warrant was for a probation violation, Hopkins said, but the original charge not known at this point.

Officers also found a surveillance video showing Callahan hiding a shotgun in a large metal trash bin before officers arrived.