A southern Indiana firefighter and police officer is off both jobs after he was accused of pepper-spraying his infant stepdaughter during an argument with his wife on June 23.
Charles Edelen of Clarksville and his wife invited the wife’s ex-boyfriend to their home to discuss custody of the baby Edelen’s wife had with the man while she was separated from Edelen, WLKY reported.
At some point during the argument, Edelen became angry and attempted to pepper-spray the ex-boyfriend, filling the room with the chemical and injuring the baby.
The two-month old baby’s eyes were swollen shut and she was hospitalized, WDRB reported.
Edelen was formally charged Monday, June 29, with two counts of aggravated battery and one count of domestic battery of a child. He bonded out of jail.
Edelen resigned from his position as a reserve officer with the Clarksville Police Department on Saturday, June 27, WLKY reported. The Clarksville Fire Department also placed him on unpaid administrative leave.