Dallas Police Sergeant Jamie L. McDonald was arrested by Royse City police on October 13 for injury to a child, a first-degree felony, after the department investigated a complaint she had beaten her 8-year-old daughter.
It happened when officers met with McDonald’s ex-husband, David Grantham.
Grantham told investigators that when he picked up his daughter Thursday from McDonald’s care, he discovered bruising on her face and then dialed 911.
Police took photos of the child, noting bruises on her right cheek and arms as well as a bruise that resembled a hand imprint on her left cheek.
A detective spoke with Grantham and his children.
The girl explained to the detective her mother had just gotten rid of their pet cat, so she made a video of herself, which shows her crying and talking about how much she misses her cat, and uploaded it to YouTube with her iPad.
After uploading the video, her mother became enraged that she had uploaded the video and told her to delete it.
When the child brought the iPad to her mother, Sergeant McDonald slapped the left side of her face, knocking her daughter the hardwood floor.
Then, according to the arrest affidavit, McDonald mounted the girl, sitting on top of her stomach, and continued hitting her in the arms and face.
The girl told the detective she was in pain and that her cheek hurt from being beaten.
The girl’s brother, who witnessed the incident, came to see what was going on after he heard screaming.
When the brother threatened to call their father, McDonald got off the girl.
She then took away his cell phone and led the children to the living room to have a discussion about what happened, the boy told the detective.
The boy also recalled a separate incident to the detective that happened in April when his mother pinned him to a wall by his neck, choking him so hard he couldn’t breath. But he never reported the incident to the police, the affidavit says.
Royse City detectives worked with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Rockwall County conducting forensic interviews with the two children before warrant was issued for McDonald’s arrest Saturday, according to the Dallas Morning News.
She was booked into the Rockwall County Jail at 8:08: p.m., jail records show.
Her bail was set at $25,000 on Monday.
An emergency protective order was filed against Sergeant McDonald, who has worked for the Dallas Police Department since 2002 and was currently assigned to the South Central Patrol Division.
The Dallas Police Department has placed McDonald on paid leave.
Grantham indends to reopen the couple’s 2017 divorce case in order to establish residence with the children.
The couple currently shares custody of their two children.
