XENIA — A Greene County jury could not agree on a verdict in the trial for Bowersville’s volunteer police chief, accused of domestic violence.
Timothy Hedges, 53, was accused of allegedly putting his hands around the neck of a 21-year-old pregnant female and forcing her out of his Fairborn apartment Aug. 18, 2017. Hedges, who testified during the trial, said he is also a paramedic.
Deliberation ended around 7 p.m. Dec. 4. Judge Michael Buckwalter declared a mistrial due to the hung jury.
Attorneys gave their final arguments to 13 jurors early in the afternoon before handing the case over for consideration.
“Yesterday I told you this case was about maybe a 10-minute span of time and your ability to determine whether or not you think somebody is telling the truth,” Assistant Prosecutor David Morrison began. “Some crimes simply don’t lend themselves to independent third-party witnesses, and certain cases you’re simply left with no choice but to try to weigh the testimony of two different people.”
The victim also took the stand during the trial, describing the alleged incident that ended with Hedges’ hands around her neck. She said Hedges knew she was pregnant at the time; both attorneys agreed that this was true.
Morrison alluded to bruises on the victim’s arms in photographs, which she said were caused by banging her limbs against door frames as she fought to get away from her assailant.
“Physical harm does not require broken bones, stitches … The law protects our citizens prior to serious harm,” Morrison said to the jurors. “It comes down to who you believe. What does she gain by making this up? … And then 15 and a half months later we’re here today and she’s still sustained the same lie? Why?”
Defense Attorney John Leahy described the victim walking further into the apartment after Hedges told her to leave and threatened to call the police.
“That’s when Tim realized he had no control in his own house. And he’s been trained as a police officer for a number of years in suspect control,” Leahy said. “It’s something that cops have to know. They have to know how to take a person from Point A to Point B and get somebody to either start doing something they want them to do or stop … Tim knew a number of different techniques as to how to effectuate his result. His result was getting her out the front door.”
Leahy said the tactic was deliberately used to avoid causing injury to the victim. He argued that the bruises on her arms were caused by Hedges’ grip as he led her out.
“When she wouldn’t leave, Tim said, ‘I’m going to escort you out of here’,” Leahy said. “Grabbed her by the arm. Hand middle of the back. Walked her out.”
Morrison rebutted.
“Just yesterday we saw her … She started crying, she couldn’t even bring herself to look at him. She doesn’t want this. She doesn’t want it. But it is.”
If Hedges had been convicted, the fifth-degree-felony would have required mandatory imprisonment, court records state.
The prosecution will decide what happens next.
