Chattanooga police sergeant relieved of duty amid domestic assault allegations

A Chattanooga police sergeant is on paid administrative leave while authorities investigate allegations of domestic assault, according to the department.

Sgt. Marvin Scott Crider is being investigated by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, police spokeswoman Elisa Myzal confirmed.

The details of the allegations were not immediately available, but Melydia Clewell, spokeswoman for Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston, said the sheriff's office is handling the investigation because the alleged victim is also a police officer.

Chattanooga police were concerned about a conflict of interest and asked for an outside agency to conduct the investigation, she said.

"We were notified earlier this week by CPD of allegations [that] Sgt. Crider has been the aggressor in a series of domestic violence incidents," she said.

On Friday, court records did not show any criminal charges filed against Crider, and it appeared he had not been arrested.

An order of protection was filed in Hamilton County Circuit Court that named Crider, however, the order is confidential and clerks could not release any details about it, said Sharon Daniels, assistant chief deputy of the office.

"That's at the plaintiff's request," she said. "The plaintiff asked that it be kept confidential."

She said any plaintiff can fill out a form to request confidentiality for the orders, which are typically public record. Circuit court Judge Neil Thomas has not yet ruled on the order, which only details allegations from one side, Daniels added.

Thomas will listen to arguments from both sides and decide whether to grant the order of protection at an upcoming hearing.

Crider is a 20-year veteran of the police force. He has previously been arrested for domestic violence.

In 2006, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after he was charged with simple domestic assault for allegedly beating up his girlfriend.

The woman he was dating said he showed up at her house drunk and kicked down her door after she refused to answer, according to Times Free Press archives. Police found a 4-by-6 inch hole in the woman's door surrounded by black scuff marks. Crider threw the woman across a room and pinned her to the floor, she said.

She said he was upset because she suggested they stop dating until his divorce was finalized.

Crider was given a 30-day suspended sentence and ordered to complete a 12-week anger management class, at which point his record was eligible to be expunged.

It appears his record was expunged; the previous charge no longer appears in county court records.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow @ShellyBradbury.

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