[KY] Deputy Hedges arrested for kicking girlfriend in the stomach and explosive device

...Officers rushed to the house on Knob Creek Road in northwest Bullitt County to find that [recently demoted from Cpt., Bullit County Sheriff's Deputy Robert "Bobby" Hedges had allegedly kicked her in the stomach and ripped out a quantity of hair from her head... Sheriff Donnie Tinnell said of Hedges: "I think he was drinking"... They found a pipe bomb attached to an alarm clock in Hedges’ bedroom, and the sheriff’s office called the Louisville Metro Bomb Squad to remove and disable the device... The pipe bomb in the house was disarmed but some neighbors still reported hearing a "boom" -- so what happened with the pipe bomb? "They have a robot go off and it sets off charges to go off, deactivate, go off in a safe way. So there was some charges that went off inside the home...that's what neighbors were hearing," says Sheriff Tinnell... Officers confiscated several guns and rifles from Hedges' home... In a video arraignment Monday morning, Hedges pleaded not guilty to domestic violence and charges of possessing a destructive device...Deputy Hedges will be back in court March 15th...

 Videos:


Sheriff Arrested for Bomb Possession, Abuse
louisvillemojo.com
February 22, 2010
[Excerpts] Our latest entry in the law enforcement trainwreck sweepstakes: Bullitt County Sheriff Robert Gavin Hedges. At three o'clock in the morning on Sunday, his girlfriend [L.B.] called the police for help to protect her. Officers rushed to the house on Knob Creek Road in northwest Bullitt County to find that Sheriff Hedges had allegedly kicked her in the stomach and ripped out a quantity of hair from her head. When asked for an explanation of the incident by the C-J, fellow Sheriff Donnie Tinnell said of Hedges: "I think he was drinking"... Things only got weirder after investigators obtained a warrant to search Hedges' home. They found a pipe bomb attached to an alarm clock, which Hedges later apparently tried to classify as a mere prop for training in his work with corrections. Be that as it may, the C-J says that the Louisville Metro Bomb Squad had to be called in to remove and disable the device... Hedges worked for Louisville Metro Corrections until three years ago when he switched to the Bullitt County Sheriff's Office. The C-J is also reporting he was demoted from Captain three months ago, because of repeatedly not showing up for work... [Full article here

Bomb squad called to home of Sheriff's Deputy charged with domestic violence
WHAS11
by Adrianna Hopkins
Posted on February 21, 2010
Updated February 22, 2010
[Excerpts] The Louisville Metro Bomb Squad was called to Bullitt County at the home of a Sheriff's Deputy. It was a long day that started with a domestic violence charge against a deputy and for the Chief Deputy Danny Thompson, it was especially long. He made the arrest and pressed the charges himself. Early Sunday morning, Thompson arrested one of his own, 44-year-old Robert Hedges. Hedges is charged with 4th degree assault for domestic violence. "Everybody expects policemen to cover up for policemen. We don't do that here,” said Bullitt County Chief Deputy Danny Thompson. Officers confiscated several guns and rifles from Hedges' home. Police say he assaulted his girlfriend of four months. “She alleges that he had kicked her in the stomach and pretty good verbal and physical confrontation,” said Lt. Det. Scotty McGaha... Thompson says it's an unfortunate day when you have to arrest a deputy. “It's never a fun thing, nobody wants to do that. But sometimes you're the guy,” he said. “We don't want to condemn him, but we don't want to condone him either”... [Full article here]

Bullitt Co. deputy charged with assaulting girlfriend, possession of destructive device
WHAS11
Posted on February 22, 2010
Updated February 23, 2010
[Excerpts] A Bullitt County Sheriff’s Deputy is charged with possession of a destructive device but authorities were first called out to his house for domestic violence. Right now Deputy Bobby Hedges is in custody after his fellow deputies arrested him early Sunday morning. He's charged with assaulting his live-in girlfriend but the Bullitt County sheriff says they found a pipe bomb in his house after his arrest. In a video arraignment Monday morning, Hedges pleaded not guilty to domestic violence and charges of possessing a destructive device. A judge ordered that he seek a mental health evaluation at the VA Hospital by mid-week. Hedges also can't have contact with his girlfriend because she filed a protective order against him. The victim told police that Hedges pulled her hair and kicked her in the stomach Saturday night. He was arrested by Bullitt County authorities at their home, that's when the sheriff says they searched the house and found a pipe bomb inside. The Louisville Metro Bomb Squad was called out to disarm it... "Oh, I was shocked. We like Bobby. He's been a good deputy. So we're as surprised as anybody about his behavior," says Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell. Deputy Hedges will be back in court March 15th. The pipe bomb in the house was disarmed but some neighbors still reported hearing a "boom" -- so what happened with the pipe bomb? "They have a robot go off and it sets off charges to go off, deactivate, go off in a safe way. So there was some charges that went off inside the home...that's what neighbors were hearing," says Sheriff Tinnell. [Full article here]

Bullitt County sheriff's deputy arrested
WAVE3
By Marisela Burgos mburgos@wave3.com
Feb 21, 2010 4:04 PM PST
Updated: Feb 22, 2010 8:52 AM PST
[Excerpts] (WAVE) - A Bullitt County Sheriff's Deputy is facing domestic violence charges. Forty-four-year-old Robert Hedges was arrested Sunday morning and charged with assault and menacing. He is accused of physically abusing his girlfriend at his home on Knob Creek Road. Hedges's girlfriend called 911 around 3 a.m. Feb. 21, claiming she was a victim of domestic violence. "It's a difficult situation to investigate your own people, but you want to make sure that you dot all the Is and cross the Ts with something like that," Chief Deputy Danny Thompson said... Thompson says investigators found the device in one of the bedrooms and checked to make sure there weren't any others. "It's kind of like mice," Thompson said. "If there's one, there may be another, and we don't want to leave knowing there might be"... Thompson says Hedges was intoxicated when he was arrested, but says it is too early to know whether alcohol is a factor in this case. Hedges, who has been with the Bullitt County Sheriff Department for three years, has been suspended without pay. [Full article here]

Bullitt deputy sheriff arrested for assault, possessing bomb
Louisville Courier-Journal
By Emily Hagedorn ehagedorn@courier-journal.com
February 22, 2010
[Excerpts]
A Bullitt deputy sheriff has been arrested and charged with assault and possession of a destructive device after investigators found a pipe bomb in his home... [Robert] Hedges allegedly pulled out some of [his girlfriend's] hair and kicked her in the stomach, Bullitt Sheriff Donnie Tinnell said. “I think he was drinking,” he said. Hedges didn’t undergo a blood alcohol test but was so intoxicated he needed clearance from Jewish Hospital Medical Center South before being housed at the Bullitt County Detention Center, Tinnell said... After interviewing [L.B.], who has lived with him Hedges for about five months, investigators obtained a warrant to search the home, he said. They found a pipe bomb attached to an alarm clock in Hedges’ bedroom, and the sheriff’s office called the Louisville Metro Bomb Squad to remove and disable the device, he said. Hedges told investigators that he used the bomb for training in his work with correction... He was demoted from captain three months ago for missing too many days of work, he said. He has had no disciplinary actions with the office and doesn’t have a criminal record, he said. “We’re disappointed and want him to get whatever help he needs,” Tinnell said. Hedges is being held at the Bullitt County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond and must undergo a psychiatric evaluation... [Full article here]
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