Beverly Police Chief Todd L. Bumbalough

BEVERLY — The Beverly police chief was arrested this week.

Beverly Police Chief Todd L. Bumbalough, 55, address not listed, was charged with one fifth-degree felony count of obstructing official business, one first-degree misdemeanor count of domestic violence, one first-degree misdemeanor count of falsification and one third-degree misdemeanor count of unlawful restraint, according to an affidavit in support of probable cause for issuance of arrest filed with the Marietta Municipal Court.

On Tuesday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received information from a 14-year-old female — who Chief Deputy Mark Warden confirmed is a member of Bumbalough’s family — that Bumbalough assaulted her on Sunday, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit states the child said she and a woman were in a verbal argument and then Bumbalough started arguing with the child and walking her backward to her bedroom. The affidavit states the incident took place at Bumbalough’s residence.

The affidavit reports the child said she lifted her hands to put her hair up as she and Bumbalough were walking and he tackled her onto her bed hitting her in the face, causing her glasses to break and causing injury to her right eye.

The affidavit said the child’s “right eye was swollen with lacerations.”

Sheriff’s detectives spoke to the woman the child was originally arguing with, according to the affidavit, and the woman confirmed that she and the child were in an argument and Bumbalough stepped in, grabbed the child’s wrist and walked her backward to her bedroom.

The woman said she walked to the bedroom and saw Bumbalough on top of the child holding her hands above her head, according to the affidavit, and the woman confirmed the child’s glasses were broken.

Bumbalough told detectives the Beverly Police got a report about the incident and he had an officer come and take a report on it, the affidavit says.

It also states Bumbalough told detectives he told the girl to go to her room when she and the woman started arguing. Bumbalough said the girl “was mouthing (off) the whole time” he walked her to her room and when they got almost into her room the girl shoulder checked him and came after him with both her hands up, according to the affidavit.

Bumbalough told detectives he grabbed the girl by the arms and pushed her into her room to sit her on the bed and as this was happening her foot caught on his and they fell onto the bed and her glasses fell off, according to the affidavit. He also said he let the girl up once she calmed down.

In the affidavit the detectives point out what they see as contradictions in Bumbalough’s account of events. The affidavit said Bumbalough said he and the girl were walking forward toward her bedroom but the girl and the woman said they were walking backward. The affidavit also states Bumbalough said the woman did not see any of the altercation.

Detectives also spoke with the Beverly Police officer who responded to Bumbalough’s residence, according to the affidavit, and the officer said Bumbalough called him and said he needed him at his residence.

The officer also said, according to the affidavit, that he thought the Sheriff’s Office should have been the ones to get the call and Bumbalough did not tell him to contact them. The officer told detectives he handled the call differently because it involved Bumbalough and if it were someone else he would have gotten more information, the affidavit said.

The child is in fear for her safety and requested a temporary order of protection, according to the affidavit.

Bumbalough has been suspended with pay until further investigation has been conducted, according to Beverly Mayor Jim Ullman.

Bumbalough’s arrest is “something we didn’t expect,” Ullman said.

The investigation is being handled by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, according to Ullman, and they are handling policing duties in Beverly.

“Right now with the chief being suspended we don’t have any (police),” Ullman said, adding that the officer mentioned in the report has taken a job with the sheriff’s office.

Bumbalough’s name does not appear in a listing of the Washington County Jail’s current inmates, but Warden confirmed Bumbalough was arrested and transported to the Washington County Jail.

No information regarding Bumbalough and whether he has had a bond set is available at this time.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com