Escambia Deputy Arrested In Cantonment For Assault, Battery

January 16, 2010

An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy was arrested early Saturday morning in Cantonment after getting into a fight with his wife.

henleyedward.jpgEdward Henley, 44, is facing false imprisonment, battery and assault domestic violence charges. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.

Deputies responded to a 911 call on Kingsfield Road in Cantonment at about 12:45 Saturday morning, according to Sgt. Ted Roy, spokesperson for the sheriff’s department. When deputies arrived and found a marked ECSO patrol car in the driveway, they alerted a supervisor.

“Contact was made with the victim who stated that she and her husband, Sgt. Edward Henley, an Escambia County Deputy of 22 years, were out at a party earlier in the evening,” Roy said. “According to the victim, they began arguing on the way home and once at the residence the argument escalated into a physical confrontation. The victim stated she was struck by the suspect several times at the residence.”

Roy said Henley was charged based upon physical evidence gathered at the scene and statements made.

Comments

34 Responses to “Escambia Deputy Arrested In Cantonment For Assault, Battery”

  1. info only on January 19th, 2010 7:25 pm

    RW I’m very familiar with that law and LEOs can request waivers bottom line is there are ways around those laws and it’s done everyday. Things are often plead out to simple battery w/o the DV flag or in many cases the abuser intimidates the victim to have charges dropped. When you victim is the only witness as is the case most of the time in DV case the state can continue the case but usually they drop them.

  2. Scott Dinkle on January 19th, 2010 9:19 am

    Where in this News clip did it say that anyone was drinking talk about assuming.

  3. North Escambia Resident on January 18th, 2010 11:51 pm

    First of all, where does it say that EITHER of them drove home? They could have called a cab or had someone else drive them. Don’t jump to conclusions based on facts not in evidence.

    Second, the fact that someone is arrested does NOT mean that they are guilty of anything. It only means that there was SOME evidence pointing to that. If every person who is arrested is guilty, why do we see so many instances in which someone is arrested and then such things as DNA evidence or video evidence or even a recanted story proves that they were innocent all along?

    Third, ever heard the saying that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones?

  4. RW on January 18th, 2010 6:46 pm

    The Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 amended the Federal Gun Control Act, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). Under these provisions, it is unlawful for an individual convicted of a state or federal “misdemeanor crime of domestic violence” to “ship, transport, possess or receive firearms or ammunition.”

    A “misdemeanor crime of violence,” pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 921(33)(a), means an offense that:

    has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent or guardian, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim.

    Law enforcement officers and governmental employees (such as security guards or military personnel) art not exempt from this law with respect to their receipt or possession of firearms or ammunition. Therefore, law enforcement and other government employees who have been convicted of a qualifying misdemeanor will not be able to lawfully possess or receive firearms or ammunition or any purposes, including performing their official duties.

    Furthermore, the law makes it unlawful for any person, including governmental agencies, to sell or otherwise issue firearms or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of violence.

  5. SW on January 17th, 2010 11:37 pm

    Everybody deserves their day in court. If he’s guilty, punishment should fit the crime. If part of that punishment costs him his job, his certification, and his privilege to carry a firearm-so be it.

    It sure seems a shame to end what appears to have been a good 22 year career this way.

  6. Billy on January 17th, 2010 9:48 pm

    Info Only,
    In some states, you loose your right to possess/own a firearm if you have been convicted of DV. It is sometimes treated like a felony although the crime may actually be a misdomeanor. I don’t know if FL is this way. That may have been what they were thinking.

    I feel like for his own people to arrest him, it must have been pretty bad and compelling. Shame on him for putting his co workers in that position. However, we don’t know the truth so I pray that justice prevails.

  7. none of your business on January 17th, 2010 9:01 pm

    I sure would like to know which of these ppl were driving home from that
    party. Was it the same officer of 22 years who then beat up his wife?
    Is this the same officer that for 22 years was giving out DUI tickets?

    I hope this is ALL taken into consideration when this is looked into
    and resolved!

    You can’t pass out tickets to the public and hall them off to jail, for
    things you do when no one is looking yourself!

    For the guy who thinks women are to blame and then squeal uncle and
    call the law.

    PLEASE!

  8. Angi on January 17th, 2010 1:31 pm

    As I see it, this is a deputy which knows the laws, and of course he wants to violate them with (assault & battery)… Well he should get what’s coming to him, just as everyone else does that commits this crime; it should not be any different for him even being a deputy. Of course I wasn’t there and don’t know the whole story and know one else really does either, but again if they were at a party and was drinking, there you go again; someone that consumed the alcohol was behind the wheel of a vehicle, which is another violation of the law. Hopefully they will get this all figured out and the courts will do what needs to be done about this…

  9. Kimbo on January 17th, 2010 1:24 pm

    To: N
    I glad you was able to work out everthing I respact you for that,
    DD= reasearch
    In criminal law, due diligence is the only available defense to a crime that is one of strict liability (i.e., a crime that only requires an actus reus and no mens rea). Once the criminal offense is proven, the defendant must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they did everything possible to prevent the act from happening. It is not enough that they took the normal standard of care in their industry – they must show that they took every reasonable precaution

  10. info only on January 17th, 2010 12:16 pm

    N a Law Enforcement Officer does not loose their state certification just because they are found guilty of DV (yes I’m smart enough to know the difference between arrest and found guilty). Check out http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/getdoc/59610e7c-3fd0-47c7-b97f-8ac1f99b2966/Professional-Compliance-Bulletins.aspx read the cases many include DV and first offense officers typically do not have their standards revoked. However, I do know of one case where they revoked the female officer’s standards when she was the victim of domestic violence and the perpetrator was also a cop, they did not do anything to the perp. The link is also entertaining to see the stupid stuff LEOs manage to get into and are still officers in the state of Florida. I’m not bashing Law Enforcement Officers I have a few that are very good friends of mine and just like any profession they are just people and as with anything you have a few bad mixed in with the good.

  11. Law Enforcement Wife on January 17th, 2010 11:38 am

    No matter who you are, there are consequences for wrong decisions. I hate that this happened to Ed and his wife. No matter who instigated it, no matter if he was drunk, no matter if his job is high stress, this behavior is totally unacceptable and I’m so glad that this will set a standard of justice. So many times, domestic violence occurs unopposed. Thank God that there are some officers and law that won’t sweep domestic violence under the rug when it is one of there own. God help their kids.

  12. Kevin Bethea on January 17th, 2010 11:37 am

    Do ya’ll really think that if the evidence was not overwhelming, the ECSO would arrest one if their own on charges that will cost him his career. Whether or not his wife provoked him, after 22 years in law enforcement he should have developed a means of controlling his anger. I have a feeling that this is not the first time, she just finally got scared enough to call. I also agree that COPS are human and make mistakes, but there is no excuse for violence of this nature. If Ronnie Mac were still in office, and we did not have NorthEscambia.com, we would not even know about this. I also feel for the other deputies who had to make this arrest, it could not have been a decision that was made easily.

  13. jACKRUBY on January 17th, 2010 10:29 am

    I cannot believe how many of these comments show that people think if you get ARRESTED YOU ARE GUILTY. However, I am glad that it shows those people have not had a real run in with the law.

  14. N on January 17th, 2010 10:28 am

    to Kimbo. I’m not sure what the “dd” in your message stands for. I agree with you to a point. The stress from out side and inside the job some times can over load a person. Add alcohol to stress and it can end in a flash point. I speak from personal experience. Working two jobs, come home beat and get into an argument and end up putting your fist through a wall. I was lucky in that I knew to say a lot of yes sirs and get a room at a motel that night. We were able to resolve the problem I had to fix the wall and it was a reminder to just walk away and let everyone cool off. We all have stress in our lives, it’s how we manage it is what is important.

  15. jACKRUBY on January 17th, 2010 10:27 am

    I know this man to be extremely professional and have seen him in action unfortunately. YOU COULD NOT BE MORE PROFESSIONAL. In Escambia County, If cops are called in a DOMESTIC INCIDENT, SOMEBODY is going to jail. I do not think he would let his wife go to jail in a real or cooked up incident. This rule they apply is because of bad things that used to happen when more arrests were not made. POINT IS…No way he would let his wife go to jail regardless of the family situation and POINT IS…Being ARRESTED does NOT MEAN YOU ARE GUILTY. Hope his wife gets the same examination HE will be getting. And he should get PAID LEAVE. We have never paid these guys enough.

  16. mickey on January 17th, 2010 8:05 am

    yall need to let the judge decide this mans guilt sounds like everybody done
    proved this man guilty. I have a friend whose wife got mad at him and hit him up side the head and then called the law on herself and they arrested him because they had small kids .

  17. N on January 17th, 2010 7:54 am

    for “someone”: Thank you for your insight and wisdom on this case. I can recall mistakes I have made over the years and reflect that I could use them as a learning tool about my self. I agree that the job of a cop is not an excuse to hit a loved one. My question is did he hit his wife/ did she have to go for medical care/ or did he break up things in their home to keep from hitting her and then when other officers arrived do something dumb like over loading his mouth. I guess we would all be well served to wait as Paul Harvey use to say—for the rest of the story.

  18. T on January 17th, 2010 6:58 am

    idunno? You may not know but it seems pretty clear, physical evidence and statements made. The man is a sargent with 22 years in, do you really think if there wasn’t some evidence he would have went to jail. Everyone should know and appreciate the work law officers do. That being said they aren’t above the the law. So I say good job.

  19. Butterfly on January 17th, 2010 5:14 am

    It is so easy to sit back and judge other people, isn’t it?
    Law enforcement and Corrections are high-stressed jobs and the officers deserve all the help and support they can get.
    If they break the law they should be held accountable like anyone else, but people ought to stop and think about what they do in their normal work day. On a daily basis they see and deal with the worst of our society; crimminals, victims, the injured, etc.
    Their lives are very simular to our troops. I have great respect for law enforcement and more people should.
    I wish Sgt. Henley the best and pray that he and his wife will get counceling and hopefully he can come back to finish with pride his already long career.

  20. Kimbo on January 17th, 2010 2:22 am

    Responding to N post at 9:39 pm)
    You know this a great country, where men and women can pick what kind of jobs they like, I remember a couple of news events your post is refering to I have no ideal if they are related but I would like to state I do like good cops and when they do wrong this is what happens, I feel as if you complete some dd you will find out alot more this, So a question for you are you stating cops are forced to witness such bad events? No it is there choice look at the waiting list for the cadets in are county. and one other thing to think about how many volunteers -cops-firefighters-ems- people are out there and see the same and never pick up a drink, and if the employees are dealing with work problems by drinking then they should reread the SOP’s of the agency they are employed. And to be honest with you research this a lil more and you will find alot more to this story.

  21. MD on January 16th, 2010 11:37 pm

    I am not one that dislikes officers, they have a very hard job and put their lives on the line everytime they put the uniform on and walk out their door. I do know that alot of times, when an officer does something wrong, it was swept under the rug so to speak. I am not saying he did this, I wasn’t there. I know if they prove he did this then he deserves to lose his certification and job. He deals with the public everyday and could very well lose his temper then also.

    The truth will come out. The judge will decide his fate. I just hope he (if guilty) gets help and his wife gets help also.

  22. UNBIASED on January 16th, 2010 10:25 pm

    I hope Mr. Henley admitts he needs help. There are classes available for men to make them aware of tools in dealing with life. I am sure he has the finest training as a law enforcement member.
    It would be great to see him retain his advocation after applying himself to domestic violence classes. I hope him and Mrs. Henley the best.

  23. Someone who knows on January 16th, 2010 9:59 pm

    Well, as someone who investigates child abuse daily; I have had to be the one to tell a parent their child has been sexually molested by their boyfriend/husband and, I’ve dealt with many infant/child deaths due to abuse. However, I do not use my profession, or the stress related to it, as an excuse to get drunk and beat my significant other. If you can’t refraid from the use of physical violence toward the person you claim to love and CHERISH because your job is too aweful and that’s the only way you can deal with the stress; then you need to find a new profession; go sell ice cream.

  24. Joe on January 16th, 2010 9:55 pm

    I have one more thing to say Let the court Have this handled but not you blaming people for somthing you have no clue about.Edward Got arrest so there was prove he did somthing wrong.So just wait to they find out the latest new’s in the court.In the mean time please Be nice to both they probable had to much to drink and Got mad.

  25. N on January 16th, 2010 9:39 pm

    To any and all who do not like cops—the next time you need help call a neighbor or some one else. Cops see the worst of things and have to live with them. Some will drink to forget what a two year old looks like after it has been raped by the boy friend of the mother. Having to tell a parent that their child has been killed, having to tell a family a parent has been killed by a dunk driver and on and on. If he hit her he’ll be in a ton of trouble. The courts will deal with him, he will loose his state certification and his job. The case should be decided in the courts—not by people on the web who were not there and do not know what the facts are.

  26. sure!! on January 16th, 2010 8:56 pm

    We don’t know what happened unless we were there.Obviously there was an issue or he would not have been arrested.But as for you young ladies commenting negatively about the man, I’ve been the victim of you Miss. Charms playing the legal system in the past. You know, where the woman provokes a fight and then calls the law in order to play the victim.Thats why I find it hard to judge the man.I’ve seen first hand that you cannot always trust a woman who claims she is being abused. And after the divorce, I found out that I used to beat her regularly and that I had multiple affairs.Never been a drugger nor a drinker but just can’t seem to remember any of it! Have a great day! And remember that we always reap what we sow!

  27. i dunno on January 16th, 2010 8:41 pm

    To Bruce: If u think this is good news, you need to get a life dude.

  28. i dunno on January 16th, 2010 8:39 pm

    Sometimes the man goes to jail when the woman initiated the fight. I hope that’s the case here. Ed ’s always been a good man, a good cop, a good co-worker. But still in all…….everyone will not remember all the good he’s done. They will never forget a bad mistake he’s made. Cops are humans— people. No one is perfect! Good luck Ed. I hope it’ll all work out for you. You don’t deserve this but I know you can handle it.

  29. GOOD JOB ANOTHER OFF THE STREETS on January 16th, 2010 8:14 pm

    i sure hope they were not drinking at the party if so hope they were not the ones behind the steering wheel Good job to the wife another ********** in a uniform with little power maybe one day we will have law officers who truely have the willingness to do good and not just what and who they want…..Yes i know they are only human but lets not forget they choose to go into law so it is thier duty..they need to be held to higher standards. i say be gone to all the OLD SCHOOL cops you know the ones .

  30. Joe on January 16th, 2010 7:43 pm

    Well thats very sad that he abuse his wife and i just hope it works out….

  31. bruce jones on January 16th, 2010 7:37 pm

    good news

  32. wonder on January 16th, 2010 6:50 pm

    This is what drinking it ruins your life and family.

  33. Ruby on January 16th, 2010 6:12 pm

    Me too – as a victim of domestic violence from a male I am proud of this lady to have the courage to call it in and that she was actually able to do it. Men who abuse women think they are superior to them and with him being an officer- I just can’t imagine what she went thru. Hope it all works out for her.

  34. RED TAIL HAWK on January 16th, 2010 3:25 pm

    I HOPE HE GETS ALL THAT IS COMING TO HIM AND ALL THAT HE DESERVES.