A Springville man arrested yesterday has been charged with domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old, a Level 6 felony.

Tyler Craig Richardson, 44, Springville, was arrested and booked into the Greene County Jail at 4:44 PM on Wednesday, August 31, on a warrant that was issued on Tuesday as a result of investigation by Deputy Kelly Hutchens of the Greene County Sheriff's Department.

Around 7:45 PM on Wednesday, August 17, Greene County Dispatch received a report of a domestic battery that occurred at a residence on South Owensburg Road, Springville. A woman called and told a dispatcher that her boyfriend, Richardson, had pushed her down and hurt her hand in front of their child. While the dispatcher was talking to the woman, Richardson also called dispatch saying he had left the residence and he denied pushing her down.

Deputy Hutchens and Sergeant Jordan Allor were dispatched and arrived at the residence at 8:04 PM. The woman told them she and Richardson had been arguing via text messages before she got home from work. She arrived home before Richardson arrived home. She said he owned the residence and she lived there with him. The argument continued and after he got home, it allegedly escalated into a physical altercation.

According to the report by Deputy Hutchens, the woman said Richardson poked her repeatedly in the chest, pushed her, poured water on her and pulled her pants down while they were outside. Then when they got inside, he allegedly pushed her and she fell to the floor onto her right wrist and right arm and the child was in the room when that occurred. Richardson then left the home so that she could leave. She said they have had a history of domestic violence and that she would take the child and go to the home of a family member for the night.

When Deputy Hutchens was able to speak with Richardson to gather information from him, she reported he wanted to know if she wanted to pursue charges and said he did not want to pursue charges against her but she just needed to move out. Deputy Hutchens explained that she was going to send a report to the prosecutors office to be reviewed and wanted to get his information first but he said if it was going “that way” he would rather have an attorney.

The Department of Child Services (DCS) was contacted about the incident.

After a report was submitted to the Greene County Prosecutors Office, a criminal case was filed in Greene Superior Court against Richardson on Monday, August 29, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on Tuesday, August 30. He then retained Carl Lamb and Associates of Bloomington to represent him.

When he was booked into jail, his bond was set at $4000 surety with 10% cash allowed. He posted $400 and was released later the same day.

The defense then waived the initial hearing and Richardson has been charged with domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old, a Level 6 felony.