Man charged with injuring child
KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 2 months AGO
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | August 5, 2021 1:00 AM
POST FALLS — A man is being held on $25,000 bond after police said he grabbed a 12-year-old child by the neck.
John J. Hammer, 35, is charged with two counts of injury to a child, one a felony and the other a misdemeanor.
Post Falls police responded Monday night to a report of child abuse at an RV park.
At the scene, a woman told police her daughter had gone to visit Hammer’s daughter, who lived in a neighboring trailer.
The girl said Hammer became upset, hit his daughter several times and threw her to the ground. He allegedly put his hands around her neck and squeezed.
When questioned by police, the girl said Hammer threw her to the ground during an argument and choked her.
She had visible red marks on her neck, police said.
A neighbor told police she saw the two girls attempting to leave the trailer. One ran off, she said, but Hammer grabbed the other girl by her neck and dragged her back inside.
Another neighbor described a previous incident where he said Hammer punched the girl in the face.
Regarding that incident, Hammer’s live-in girlfriend told police she had directed Hammer to slap the child in the head as punishment for getting in trouble.
She said she wasn’t present for the act, nor was she present for the alleged physical altercation that happened Monday night.
Hammer reportedly denied physically harming the child.
Police arrested him at the scene.
Judge Mayli Walsh ordered Tuesday that Hammer be held on $25,000 bail.
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