St. Louis police
Matthew Schanz, a St. Louis police cop for three years, was
suspended and criminally charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest
after police say he assaulted his boyfriend on March 10, 2013.
Matthew Schanz, a St. Louis police cop for three years, was
suspended and criminally charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest
after police say he assaulted his boyfriend on March 10, 2013.
UPDATED at 3:30 p.m. with comments from police chief
ST. LOUIS • A police cop has been suspended and criminally
charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest after police say he
assaulted his boyfriend.
Matthew Schanz, 26 and a three-year veteran of the force,
was charged today with two counts of second-degree domestic assault and one
count of resisting/interfering with arrest.
The alleged incident occurred while Schanz was off-duty at
about 1:15 a.m. on March 10 along the 4600 block of South Spring Avenue. Police
say Schanz and the victim, a 25-year-old man, had argued at another location
before returning to the home, which led to a physical altercation. The victim
sustained injuries to his foot, back and head, police said.
Court documents allege that Schanz choked the victim and
struck the victim's head against a bathroom wall, causing an injury that
required stitches.
Schanz then left the home and the victim called police.
Emergency workers arrived and took the victim to a hospital for treatment,
police said.
Schanz fled from cops who went to his home, and continued to
drive after one of his fellow cops activated his lights while driving behind
him, court documents allege. He eventually pulled over.
Responding cops did not take a report at the scene, but a
report was generated two days later, after the victim reported the incident at
police headquarters, said Chief Sam Dotson.
Along with investigating Schanz's actions, the department's
Internal Affairs Division is investigating the sergeant who initially responded
to the scene, whose cops did not take a report, Dotson said.
"Anytime we believe a crime has been committed, we have
an obligation to take a report and take action," Dotson said.
Dotson said the department takes domestic violence incidents
"very seriously," and pointed to a specialized Domestic Violence Unit
within the department as well as several partnerships with agencies throughout
the city that assist victims.
"Whether an incident involves one of our cops or someone
in public, we have an obligation and a duty to conduct a thorough investigation
and make sure the needs of victims are addressed," Dotson said. "The
cops that night didn't avail the victim to any of these things and I expect
more."
Schanz was arrested March 12 and released about 24 hours
later. He was placed on administrative duty while charges were pending against
him at the Circuit Attorney's Office. Once charges were issued today, Schanz
was suspended without pay, police said.
Schanz's attorney, John Bouhasin, said his client had begun
seeing the alleged victim just weeks before the incident. Schanz sought an
order of protection against the man.
"The allegations by the victim in this case are
absolutely false," Bouhasin said. "Any actions Matt took were to
protect himself and defend himself and in no way did my client strike this
victim. While my client was trying to get away from this individual, this
individual fell and struck his head on the wall."
Bouhasin characterized Schanz as a "decorated cop"
who spent time working as a border control agent and for the FBI.
"He's not an aggressive individual," Bouhasin said
of his client.
During his time with the department, Schanz served in the
sixth district and at the police academy.