Former Batavia officer admits domestic abuse - Chicago Daily Herald
A retired Batavia police officer who also served as Kane County Sheriff Don Kramer's campaign manager pleaded guilty Thursday to misdemeanor domestic battery and was admitted into the county's deferred prosecution program. Harper, 55, formerly of Sugar Grove, was arrested in February 2014 after his now ex-wife told authorities he tried to choke her after she said she was going to file for divorce, according to court records. Harper, who also owns the Drive Home Safe Driving School in Batavia, pleaded guilty to grabbing his wife, prosecutors said. In a petition for an order of protection, the woman told Harper she was tired of his physical and verbal abuse and was going to file for divorce if he didn't. She then walked out of their bedroom with pillows and her cellphone to sleep in their spare bedroom when Harper demanded her phone, and knocked it to the floor while grabbing her pillows. As she bent down to get the phone, Harper grabbed her and began choking her until the woman's teenage sons broke up the attack, according to the order of protection. They called 911 but Harper was not arrested until the woman's older brother took photos of bruises on her back and showed police, who turned over evidence to the Kane County state's attorney's office, the order of protection stated. Source: www.dailyherald.com
