Belleville police say intimate partner violence incidents were a significant concern during a recent 24-hour reporting period that saw officers respond to 258 calls for service across the city.
Among those calls were two separate domestic disputes in Belleville’s west end on February 2, both resulting in arrests and serious criminal charges.
In the first incident, police say a verbal argument escalated inside a residence shortly before 1 p.m. Investigators allege a male punched a female and damaged a staircase banister. A 39-year-old Belleville man was arrested and charged with assault, mischief under $5,000, and failing to comply with a probation order. He was held for a bail hearing.
Later that day, officers responded to another report involving a male barricading himself inside a room with other individuals. Police allege the suspect made threats, smashed personal property, and used broken debris as a weapon. Investigators also allege there were prior incidents of physical violence and breaches of court-ordered conditions.
An 18-year-old Belleville man was arrested and charged with multiple offences including assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, uttering threats, forcible confinement, break and enter, mischief, and failure to comply with an undertaking. He was also held for a bail hearing.
Belleville Police remind residents that intimate partner violence is a serious criminal offence and encourage anyone experiencing abuse, or who knows someone at risk, to seek help and report incidents to police.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
