Crime & Safety

Judge: Frankfort Cop 'Went Too Far' in Head-butting, Choking Girlfriend

Frankfort cop Donald Walsh was convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery Tuesday, Feb. 11.

A Frankfort cop who head-butted, punched and choked his girlfriend in July 2012 was found guilty of misdemeanor domestic battery Tuesday. 

Donald Walsh, 30, of Monee, will consequently lose his position with the Frankfort police department, Sun-Times Media reports. Judge Edward Burmila delivered the verdict following a bench trial in Will County Circuit Court in Joliet.

Walsh's attorney, Steven Haney, claimed then-girlfriend Jillian Fredericks actually attacked Walsh after she questioned him about another woman, and that he acted in self-defense. As evidence, the defense entered surveillance video from a Tinley Park bar depicting a confrontation between the two, in which Fredericks 
struck Walsh. The incident could have led Walsh to feel as though he needed to defend himself, Haney said. 

Even if that were the case, Burmila said Walsh crossed the line. 

Sentencing was scheduled for March 11. 


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