Woods Cross police officer charged with assaulting fiancee
Mar 3, 2023, 2:35 PM | Updated: 2:36 pm
FILE: A man was arrested after police say he took his brother's truck with a 4-year-old girl in the back seat in Woods Cross, then led police on a long high-speed chase that ended in a head-on collision. (Jeffery D. Allred/Deseret News)
(Jeffery D. Allred/Deseret News)
WOODS CROSS, Utah — An officer with the Woods Cross Police Department is now facing criminal charges for an alleged domestic violence incident.
Austin James Strong, 32, of Syracuse, was charged Thursday in 2nd District Court with aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, plus unlawful detention and criminal mischief, class B misdemeanors.
On Feb. 18, Syracuse police were called to a report of domestic violence involving Strong and his fiancee. The woman reported that Strong became upset and punched a dresser. She then grabbed her backpack and attempted to leave the residence, according to charging documents.
“(The woman) stated she was exiting the residence when Strong grabbed her by the neck and choked her with his hand. Strong held onto (her) throat and placed her against the refrigerator. (She) screamed and Strong stated he did not like her screaming. (She) started to scream again so Strong let her go. (The woman) said Strong choked her for at least 15 seconds. She did not lose consciousness, but did get dizzy,” the charges allege.
The woman told investigators she continued to try and leave the home but Strong grabbed her backpack and threw her to the floor, the charges state, adding that the woman “wriggled out of the backpack and escaped the home. She then went to the Syracuse Police Department and reported the incident.”
When police arrived, officers noted that “Strong was clearly intoxicated.” He told them that he had gotten in an argument with the woman but did not recall putting his hands on her. A police booking affidavit notes that “Austin said he saw on Spillman the allegations of choking her.” Spillman is the software program used by police departments to share data.
Strong is a K-9 handler with the Woods Cross Police Department. He has been with the department for less than five years.
Chief Chad Soffe said Friday Stong has been placed on administrative leave.
While Soffe says the incident is out of character for Strong and there have been “no problems like this in the past,” he added: “We take domestic violence very serious and take appropriate action when any citizen or officer commits domestic violence.”
Domestic violence resources
If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available.
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
- Resources are also available online at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition website.
There are several ways the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition can help people. Previous examples include providing financial assistance for funerals, for moving, for a variety of things, counseling that help people find a different path or stay healthy and safe and the relationship they’re in.
