MPD: Man charged with battery on child

The Times-Mail

MITCHELL — A Mitchell man was charged Sunday with battery on a person under 14 and possession of marijuana.

Cody Freeman, 29, was arrested by Mitchell Police Maj. Ryan Duckett, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The victim's father told police his four-year-old child was struck by Freeman and that Freeman threatened further violence if the child ever touches his infant son again.

Duckett wrote that he observed and photographed a large bruise on the left side of neck / collar bone area that rose into the left side of the neck of the four year old.

Freeman told police he saw the child touch his infant son inappropriately, but denied striking the child, according to the affidavit.

A witness told police the child touched the infant inappropriately twice, despite being warned. Freeman then grabbed the child and, as a result, may have hit a nearby table, the affidavit stated.

When Duckett and another officer went to arrest Freeman, they allegedly found a 1.5 grams of marijuana in his left front jacket pocket, the affidavit stated.