Update: Longview Texas Police Officer Aulderson Franklin Jr. Arrested, Suspended, And Charged With Assaulting A Family Member After Choking His Wife

LONGVIEW, TEXAS – The City of Longview launches an internal investigation after Officer Aulderson Franklin, Jr. was arrested for choking his wife. CBS 19’s Abby Broyles spoke with people in Longview about the arrest and has the latest on the investigation tonight from the Longview Police Department.

City leaders say Officer Franklin was hired on at the Longview Police Dept back at the end of January, so he’s only been on the job here for about 6 months. News of his arrest spread quickly in the community, and people we spoke with today say they’re shocked and disappointed at what Officer Franklin is accused of.

Residents in Longview are concerned after one its police officers lands on the wrong side of law.

“That kind of rage from a police officer, it does concern me,” Kathy Rowan says, “you think these people are supposed to be protecting us and looking out for us and you know, they’re not really protecting their loved ones.”

Upshur County deputies arrested 42-year old Officer Aulderson Levi Franklin, Jr. late Saturday night. He’s charged with assault of a family member for impeding breath, a third degree felony.

Deputies arrested Franklin after a domestic disturbance call from a home in Big Sandy. Arrest records show witnesses told investigators Franklin was trying to choke his wife.

“No man should go after a woman like that, I don’t care if they’re married 100 years,” Rowan said.

Officer Franklin is now free on a $5,000 bond. He’s on paid administrative leave, and the City of Longview has launched an internal investigation.

“Our staff will look at the situation, look at what all the circumstances are and determine what will happen moving forward whether that’s whatever discipline take place, or what happens to his employment,” City spokesman Shawn Hara said.

Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd tells CBS 19 the case has not reached his office yet. We’re told the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating, and until that investigation is complete, city leaders say they won’t be able to make a long-term decision as far as Franklin’s future here as an officer in Longview.

CBS19 is working to speak with officer Franklin but he has not gotten back in touch with us.

If convicted, Franklin faces a two to ten year sentence. No word yet on his court date.

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New York City Police Officer Kofi Nsafoah Arrested And Charged After Choking His Wife

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – An off-duty city cop was arrested early Tuesday for allegedly choking his wife, police said.

Kofi Nsafoah, 36, was taken into custody at 2:30 a.m. after an apparent fight with his wife, cops said.

Police said the altercation happened in the vicinity of the 61st Precinct, which polices Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Kings Highway, Homecrest, Madison, Manhattan Beach and Gerritsen Beach. They declined to provide a specific address.

It was unclear how seriously the woman was injured.

Nsafoah was charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, police said.

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Veteran Albuquerque New Mexico Police Officer Jonathan Romero Arrested For Domestic Violence After Attack On His Wife

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – An Albuquerque police officer has been arrested on a domestic violence charge.

Jonathan Romero, 41, was arrested over the weekend on a misdemeanor charge of battery on a household member.

According to a criminal complaint, Romero was in an argument with his wife about their divorce at their Tijeras home. She later went to bed.

That’s when the report states that Romero went into the bedroom and tried to forcefully take her wedding ring off her finger.

Romero has been released from jail.

Police say Romero is a 14-year veteran on the force.

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Savannah Georgia Police Officer Sgt. Allan Clairmon Fired After Beating His Wife

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA – A Savannah police sergeant has been fired after he was arrested on charges related to a dispute with his wife.

Savannah-Chatham County police spokesman Julian Miller says the officer, Sgt. Allan Clairmont, was terminated for “conduct unbecoming of an officer.” He had worked for the department since 2003.

The Savannah Morning News reports Clairmont was arrested Tuesday in neighboring Port Wentworth after his wife reported he forced her to leave a restaurant where she was dining with friends. She told police he later hit her in the face and side several times.

Court papers show the woman filed papers to divorce Clairmont in 2011, but the divorce has not been finalized. It was not known if Clairmont had hired a criminal attorney.

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On-Duty Ider Alabama Police Officer Keith Murphree Arrested, Charged With Domestic Violence

IDER, ALABAMA – An Ider police officer was arrested Monday and charged with third-degree domestic violence, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies arrested Charles Keith Murphree while he was on duty Monday, according to the release from Sheriff Jimmy Harris. Murphree, 42, of Henagar, remains in the DeKalb County Jail awaiting bond to be set.

The news release did not give details about the victim of the alleged domestic violence, but said an investigation is underway “to determine the extent and frequency of abuse.”

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, other charges may be filed, the news release said.

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Jefferson Parish Louisiana Deputy Sheriff Dwayne Guynes Arrested, Suspended, And Charged With Domestic Violence After Attack On His Girlfriend – Sexual Battery And Other Allegations Are Also Pending

JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA – A Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy has been suspended after he was arrested this past weekend in New Orleans and booked on domestic violence charges. Deputy Dwayne Guynes, 34, an officer with the 2nd District in Harvey, has been suspended indefinitely as a result of his arrest, said Col. John Fortunato, spokesman with the Sheriff’s Office.

Guynes has been a member of the Sheriff’s Office since October 2007, Fortunato said. No details about his arrest were available Monday evening.

New Orleans police spokesman Frank Robertson said the incident occurred Saturday in the 100 block of Chartres Street in the French Quarter.

“He got into a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, and we booked him with domestic battery,” Robertson said, adding that no rape was involved.

But shortly after his arrest by NOPD, Fortunato said a woman contacted the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office to report that she had been a victimized by Guynes in Jefferson Parish and neighboring jurisdictions.

It’s not clear whether the woman who contacted the Sheriff’s Office is the same victim from the case in New Orleans. Fortunato did not reveal any details of those allegations, but said the crimes were sexual in nature and also included battery.

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Tuscaloosa Alabama Police Officer Robert Ashley Fourt Arrested, Suspended, And Charged With Domestic Violence And Criminal Mischief

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — A Tuscaloosa police officer has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested in a Tuesday night incident.

According to police, Robert Ashley Fourt, 54, of Tuscaloosa was arrested by investigators for domestic violence and third-degree criminal mischief.

Fourt is a sergeant in the patrol division of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, where he has been employed since 2003, Tuscaloosa police spokesman Sgt. Brent Blankley said. Blankley said Fourt was placed on administrative leave after his arrest.

Officers responded to a residence in the 4600 block of Woodland Hills Drive Tuesday at 6 p.m. on a domestic call.

“The victim told officers that the suspect was highly intoxicated and destroying items inside the residence,” Blankley said.

Fourt was taken into custody without incident by officers. A small fire that police said was set by Fourt in the residence’s garage was put out by the Tuscaloosa Fire Department.

Blankley said the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit was contacted to investigate the incident because Fourt was a Tuscaloosa police officer. No TPD investigators were called to the scene, Blankley said.

Fourt was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center to be treated for a cut to his head. He was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail Thursday.

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Hutchins Texas Police Officer Sgt. Gregory McKinley Arrested, Suspended, Charged With Assault After Domestic Violence Incident

HUTCHINS, TEXAS – A North Texas police officer is on administrative leave following his arrest earlier this week on an assault charge.

Hutchins police Sgt. Gregory McKinley was taken into custody Monday by Wylie police. The charge stems from an incident that happened at his home last week.

The 42-year-old was was booked into the Collin County Jail on a charge of assault causing bodily injury, a third-degree felony.

Hutchins Police Chief Frank McElligott announced that McKinley will remain on administrative leave until an internal affairs investigation is complete.

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Elsewhere:

Wylie Police have released the name of the person involved in a SWAT incident March 9.

Charles Gregory McKinley, a resident of Wylie and a police officer in Hutchins, is being held at the Collin County Detention Facility on charges of Assault-Family Violence-Impede Breath or Circulation, according to Wylie Det. Venece Perepiczka.

About 10 p.m. March 9, WPD was dispatched to the 2800 block of Sutters Mill Way in reference to a domestic disturbance call. When the officers arrived on the scene, they were told by the person who had made the call that McKinley was a Hutchins officer and that he had made statements indicating he may be suicidal. He had also indicated there were weapons in the house.

Attempts to contact McKinley were unsuccessful and, due to the mention of weapons and suicidal statements, Wylie SWAT and negotiator teams were sent to the residence, Perepiczka said. “Continued attempts to make contact with McKinley were unsuccessful. Officers obtained house keys and went into the residence. McKinley was found unconscious but breathing by the Wylie SWAT team, and he was transported to the hospital by EMS for a possible overdose,” she said.

McKinley was released from the hospital March 14, and he was taken into custody and transported to the Collin County Detention Facility on the familiy violence warrant. The charge is a third degree felony. McKinley’s bond has been set at $200,000.

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San Francisco California’s New Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Arrested, Charged With Domestic Violence

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco’s new sheriff is facing misdemeanor charges over an alleged domestic abuse incident on New Year’s Eve, authorities said.

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, who was sworn in Monday, said Friday he will not resign.

“We are cooperating with law enforcement and the district attorney’s office and will, of course, continue to do so,” he told reporters.

The charges were announced by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, who also took office Monday.

Mirkarimi is accused of domestic violence with battery, child endangerment and dissuading a witness.

Gascon said there were a series of text messages between the sheriff and his wife, Eliana Lopez, the alleged victim, about the incident.

Lopez, standing next to her husband, called the charges “unbelievable” and said the couple would fight them.

“I don’t have any complaint against my husband,” Lopez said. “We are together. … this is completely wrong.”

Mirkarimi was booked and released on bail, San Francisco police said.

Mayor Edwin M. Lee called the charges “extremely serious and troubling.”

“As elected officials, our primary responsibility and focus must always be to fulfill our duties to the people of San Francisco,” Lee said in a statement.

He said he would review options under the city charter, but “ensure that we do not take steps that undermine the integrity of the criminal justice proceedings under way.”

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Topeka Kansas Joins Shawne County – Not Prosecuting Domestic Violence And Misdemeanor Cases – City And County Out Of Money

TOPEKA, KANSAS – Cash-strapped Topeka, Kansas, has decided to stop prosecuting domestic violence casses in order to save money.

The City Council announced the proposal Oct. 4, after the Shawnee County District Attorney’s office announced it could no longer prosecute misdemeanors, including domestic violence cases. The city’s maneuver may even require repealing the part of the city code that bans domestic battery. Mayor Bill Bunten told the Topeka Capital-Journal city officials take domestic violence seriously, and it would be “dead wrong” to assume offenders won’t be prosecuted. But the dispute is over who would pay for it, he said.

Shawnee County has already dropped 30 domestic violence cases since it stopped prosecuting the crime on Sept. 8. Some 16 people have been arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery charges and then released after charges were not filed.

County District Attorney Chad Taylor has reportedly offered to review all misdemeanor cases filed in Topeka for potential prosecution, including those now handled by the city’s municipal court, in exchange for a one-time payment of $350,000 from the city.

The Topeka YWCA said the problem must be resolved.

“When an abusive partner is arrested, the victim’s danger level increases,” Becky Dickinson, interim director of the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment, told the Capital-Journal. “The abuser will often become more violent in an attempt to regain control. Letting abusive partners out of jail with no consequences puts victims in incredibly dangerous positions.”

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Tallahassee Florida Police Officer Brian T. Hart Fired After Brutal Attack On Ex-Girlfriend

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The police officer arrested months ago on battery charges was fired Friday after investigators confirmed the allegations of abuse levied against him by an ex-girlfriend.

In February, a woman accused Brian Hart, 30, of pulling her hair and making rude gestures when they were at AJ’s Sports Bar on West Tennessee Street. Both the woman and her boyfriend said that Hart appeared to be intoxicated.

During an interview, Hart never denied the incident and said that his drunkenness was the cause of his behavior, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Investigators also talked to Hart’s former girlfriend, who used to live with him. She claimed that Hart physically and verbally abused her on several occasions.

Court documents state that in June 2010, Hart pushed his then girlfriend down and threw her into a wall, which left a small hole in the wall. She told investigators she ended up back on the floor and that Hart got behind her, put her in a headlock and began strangling her. She said that during the attack, she was afraid Hart was going to kill her.

Hart was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation initiated by the Police Department.

The investigation concluded that Hart “sustained violations of unbecoming conduct, alcohol abuse and violations of rules and laws.” He was fired early Friday morning.

Hart had worked with TPD since July 2008.
Feb 4, 2011

A Tallahassee police officer was arrested Friday in connection with the battery of a woman at a local bar and the domestic battery of his former girlfriend.

Officer Brian T. Hart, 30, was arrested on charges of battery and domestic battery, said Officer David McCranie, spokesman for TPD. He was taken to the Leon County Jail and placed on pre-trial release later in the day.

TPD received a complaint during the early morning hours of Jan. 24 from a woman who said while she was at AJ’s Sports Bar, 1800 W. Tennessee St.,a man — later identified as Hart — pulled her hair and made rude gestures at her.

A probable-cause affidavit alleges that Hart grabbed the woman’s hair and pulled her face down to his crotch. The woman said she repeatedly told him to leave her alone, but that he didn’t seem to acknowledge her request. Both the woman and her boyfriend said Hart appeared to be intoxicated.

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Albany County New York Corrections Officer Matthew Igoe Arrested After Domestic Violence Incident Involving Ex-Girlfriend And A Child

ALBANY COUNTY, NEW YORK – We have new details on the arrest of an Albany County corrections officer you heard about first here on FOX23 News.

31-year-old Matthew Igoe is accused of attempting to assault his ex-girlfriend after Rensselaer Police responded to a 911 hang-up call and say they caught him leaving the house.

Igoe is charged with attempted assault, coercion, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Officers say they received two 911 calls from a home on Third Avenue.

The first was a hang-up call, but police say during the second, they heard a woman screaming for help in the background.

When police responded, they say they found Igoe exiting the house through the back door, and a woman inside in need of medical attention.

That alleged victim is Robert Roy’s daughter.

“My day changed when I called my daughter and a cop answered the phone and said she had been beaten severely by an ex-boyfriend,” Roy said.

FOX23 News is withholding his daughter’s name out of respect for her two young children.

Roy says she suffered severe head and upper body injuries during what police are calling a “domestic incident”.

She has since been released from the hospital.

“My daughter is not doing very well,” Roy said. “It’s Mother’s Day.”

But, he says he’s more than thankful for the quick response from police, which he says saved his daughter’s life.

“We are going to work out something, we will physically get my daughter back, we will,” he said. “But emotionally, I don’t know.”

Matthew Igoe is suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of this investigation.

He is scheduled to appear in Rensselaer City Court on Wednesday.
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UPDATE: On Saturday, Rensselaer Police arrested 31-year-old Matthew D. Igoe of Albany.

Igoe is a corrections officer with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

Police say they received a 911 hang-up call for an address on 3rd Avenue.

While responding to the residence a second 911 call was received and a female was screaming for help in the background.

The Rensselaer Police did encounter Igoe as he was exiting the rear door of his ex-girlfriend residence.

Igoe was taken into custody and medical assistance was rendered to the victim of an Assault resulting from the Domestic Incident.

The victim was transported and treated at Albany Medical Center for her injuries.

Igoe is charged with Attempted Assault, Coercion, Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

Igoe was remanded to the Rensselaer County Jail without bail and is scheduled to reappear in Rensselaer City Court on Wednesday.

The Rensselaer City Police Department was assisted by the East Greenbush Police Department during this Domestic Incident.

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An Albany County Corrections Officer is suspended indefinitely after an incident in Rensselaer County.

The Albany County Undersheriff says Matthew Igoe is suspended pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.

A family member of the alleged victim says the incident was a domestic dispute.

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Slidell Louisiana Police Officer Sgt. Claude Stevens Arrested, Suspended, And Charged With Simple Battery Domestic Abuse

SLIDELL, LOUISIANA – Slidell – A 14 year Slidell Police Department veteran was arrested Wednesday for domestic abuse after an altercation with his wife, according to a police spokesman.

Sgt. Claude Stevens was charged with simple battery domestic abuse and placed on administrative leave. The incident happened Sunday, according to police. The Slidell Police Department has launched an internal investigation.

“If Sgt. Stevens is found guilty on these charges he will face disciplinary action,” Chief Randy Smith said.

Stevens turned himself in to police and was released after posting a $459 bond. He was reassigned to the patrol division while the case is investigated.

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Former New Bern North Carolina Police Officer Ernest Flowers And Police Employee Dawn Nelson-Flowers Arrested And Jailed On Domestic Assault Charges

NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA – Recently retired New Bern police officer and commander of the New Bern Young Marines and his wife, a non-sworn member of the police department, were both ordered to jail for up to 48 hours on domestic assault charges.

New Bern police arrested Ernest Flowers, 60, of 3045 Woodland Ave., and his wife, Dawn Nelson-Flowers, 54, of the same address, Tuesday afternoon.

Ernest Flowers was charged with assault on a female and Nelson-Flowers was charged with simple assault. There was no visible physical injury to either of them, according to a Craven County magistrate.

A magistrate found probable cause to issue the warrants.

Flowers was also the New Bern Police Department recruiting officer.

Flowers retired from the Marine Corps at the rank of sergeant major and is a former drill sergeant. Nelson-Flowers is a service technician at the police department.

The two have a first appearance in district court Wednesday.

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Covington Georgia Police Officer Det. Stanley Moore Arrested, Charged With Battery After Fight With His Girlfriend

COVINGTON, GEORGIA – A Covington police officer was arrested Wednesday night after getting info a fight with his girlfriend.

Covington police said that Newton County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call regarding a domestic dispute and charged Detective Stanley Moore with Battery.

Moore is currently on paid leave while the Covington Police Department conducts an internal investigation and the Newton County Sheriff’s Department conducts a criminal investigation.

The detective is assigned to the Covington Police Department’s criminal investigations division.

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Veteran Columbus Georgia Police Officer Joel Reed Arrested, Charged After Attacking His Daughter After Traffic Accident

COLUMBUS, GEORGIA – 45-year-old Joel Reed has been charged with Simple Battery (Family Violence). According to police reports, officers were flagged down at Lakebottom Park about a car accident at the 1600 block of 17th street which had turned into a domestic dispute.

According to the arrest report, Reed got into a verbal argument with his 20-year-old daughter about the accident. Reports say Reed then slapped his daughter twice in the face with his open hand.

Reed was arrested and taken to the Muscogee County Jail where he has since posted bond in the amount of $1,000.

According to the city’s Human Resources Director, Tom Barron, Reed has been employed with the Columbus Police Department since February 26th, 1985, as a Field Operations Officer.

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Miami-Dade Florida Police Officer Sgt. Reinaldo Ruiz Arrested, Charged With Aggravated Assault With A Deadly Weapon In Domestic Violence Incident At His Home

MIAMI, FLORIDA – A Miami-Dade police officer has found himself on the wrong side of the law after an alleged incident involving someone in his house.

Reinaldo Ruiz, 47, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was in Broward County jail Monday.

Ruiz, a sergeant at MIami-Dade PD, was arrested over the weekend, but details as to what happened to get police to his Southwest Ranches home have not been released.

Miami-Dade Police have not commented on the incident.

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Foley Alabama Police Officer James Andrew Klein Arrested On Domestic Violence Charges

FOLEY, Alabama — A Foley police officer is on paid administrative leave after he and his girlfriend were arrested on domestic violence charges, officials said today.

Officer James Andrew Klein, 26, of Foley and Victoria Michelle Broadus, 22, of Summerdale were arrested after Foley police were called to Klein’s home at about 11:30 p.m. Monday.

When officers arrived on scene, they observed scratches and red marks on both Klein and Broadus, Lt. David White, Foley chief investigator, said.

Klein and Broadus were charged with third-degree domestic violence. When informed that an officer was a domestic violence suspect, Chief David Wilson asked the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the incident, according to a police statement.

White said that because the incident is under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, he did not have additional details. Sheriff’s investigators could not be reached for comment late this afternoon.

Both suspects were booked in the Baldwin County Corrections Center and released on $2,500 bail, according to jail records.

Wilson ordered an internal investigation of the incident. He also put Klein on paid leave until the internal investigation is complete, according to the statement.

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Veteran Atlanta Police Officer Terence Alexander Arrested After Beating His Girlfriend – Previously Fired After Videotaped Beating Of Woman For Parking Violation, Which Cost City $350,000 To Settle – Already Under Investigation For Yet Another Incident – Reprimanded Or Suspended 13 Times In The Past

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – An Atlanta police officer once involved in an altercation that ended up costing the city $350,000 was arrested Thursday on domestic violence charges.

Terence Alexander, 41, an 11-year veteran of the force, is accused of hitting his 18-year-old girlfriend, a charge he denies, APD spokesman James Polite said.

DeKalb Police arrested Alexander at his Briarcliff Road apartment where Aleka Simmons said the assault occurred. Alexander told officers Simmons hit him and that he was merely trying to hold her down, Polite said.

Alexander, already under investigation for an undisclosed work-related incident, has been placed on administrative leave pending a meeting with Chief George Turner that will determine his future with the department.

He’s been fired by the APD once before, in 2005, after surveillance video captured him slamming a woman to the ground and arresting her for a parking violation while moonlighting at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The assault victim, Diana Dietrich-Barnes, sued the city and settled for $350,000.

Then-Police Chief Richard Pennington sacked Alexander for using unnecessary force but the department’s civil service board overturned the decision. Alexander was rehired despite having been either reprimanded or suspended without pay 13 times for violating departmental rules.

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Star’s Domestic Violence Photo Leaked To TMZ By Los Angeles California Police Department

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – A photo that appears to be Rihanna’s face with bruises, scratches and swelling from an attack allegedly at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown was posted Thursday night by the celebrity Web site TMZ.

The close-up image shows a welt above each of the woman’s eyebrows, marks on her cheek and around her lips, and general swelling. TMZ did not say how it obtained the photo, when it was taken or by whom.

Hours after the photo was posted, the Los Angeles Police Department launched an internal investigation and asked for the public’s help in finding the person who leaked it. A police news release said the image “has the appearance” of one taken during a domestic violence investigation, and classified its release as a case of serious misconduct that could result in termination.

Asked earlier Thursday whether he could confirm the photo’s origin, LAPD Officer Jason Lee said only that the department had not released images of the woman who accused Brown, and would not release evidence photos. A spokeswoman for the district attorney said all evidence related to the case was still with police.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8 and booked on suspicion of making felony criminal threats to a woman that authorities have not publicly identified. A person familiar with the situation, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity, confirmed that the woman was Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Fenty.

The person said some of the injuries shown in the photo – specifically the marks on the woman’s forehead – were consistent with the injuries Rihanna sustained.

Prosecutors have asked police to provide more information before deciding what charges, if any, to pursue against Brown. Police have said the 19-year-old singer could face domestic violence charges if prosecutors think they are appropriate.

An Associated Press photo of Rihanna, taken before the party on the night of the incident, shows her with a tattoo of Roman numerals on her left shoulder; the TMZ photo shows the same numerals on the same shoulder. TMZ had previously used its site to debunk a manipulated image that depicted Rihanna with a black eye.

No public statement has been issued on behalf of Rihanna, who turns 21 on Friday. Email and telephone messages left late Thursday with representatives for both Brown and Rihanna were not immediately returned.

Brown released a statement on Sunday, which read in part, “Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired.” The statement, which did not mention Rihanna, said Brown was consulting with loved ones, his mother and pastor.

Brown’s arrest came roughly 18 hours after he and Rihanna left a pre-Grammy party honoring music mogul Clive Davis. According to police, Brown and a woman were involved in an altercation in a car traveling through the upscale Hancock Park neighborhood shortly after midnight. Police have said the woman had visible injuries, and that Brown was gone from the scene when they arrived.

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Star’s Domestic Violence Photo Leaked To TMZ By Los Angeles California Police Department

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – A photo that appears to be Rihanna’s face with bruises, scratches and swelling from an attack allegedly at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown was posted Thursday night by the celebrity Web site TMZ.

The close-up image shows a welt above each of the woman’s eyebrows, marks on her cheek and around her lips, and general swelling. TMZ did not say how it obtained the photo, when it was taken or by whom.

Hours after the photo was posted, the Los Angeles Police Department launched an internal investigation and asked for the public’s help in finding the person who leaked it. A police news release said the image “has the appearance” of one taken during a domestic violence investigation, and classified its release as a case of serious misconduct that could result in termination.

Asked earlier Thursday whether he could confirm the photo’s origin, LAPD Officer Jason Lee said only that the department had not released images of the woman who accused Brown, and would not release evidence photos. A spokeswoman for the district attorney said all evidence related to the case was still with police.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8 and booked on suspicion of making felony criminal threats to a woman that authorities have not publicly identified. A person familiar with the situation, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity, confirmed that the woman was Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Fenty.

The person said some of the injuries shown in the photo – specifically the marks on the woman’s forehead – were consistent with the injuries Rihanna sustained.

Prosecutors have asked police to provide more information before deciding what charges, if any, to pursue against Brown. Police have said the 19-year-old singer could face domestic violence charges if prosecutors think they are appropriate.

An Associated Press photo of Rihanna, taken before the party on the night of the incident, shows her with a tattoo of Roman numerals on her left shoulder; the TMZ photo shows the same numerals on the same shoulder. TMZ had previously used its site to debunk a manipulated image that depicted Rihanna with a black eye.

No public statement has been issued on behalf of Rihanna, who turns 21 on Friday. Email and telephone messages left late Thursday with representatives for both Brown and Rihanna were not immediately returned.

Brown released a statement on Sunday, which read in part, “Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired.” The statement, which did not mention Rihanna, said Brown was consulting with loved ones, his mother and pastor.

Brown’s arrest came roughly 18 hours after he and Rihanna left a pre-Grammy party honoring music mogul Clive Davis. According to police, Brown and a woman were involved in an altercation in a car traveling through the upscale Hancock Park neighborhood shortly after midnight. Police have said the woman had visible injuries, and that Brown was gone from the scene when they arrived.

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