Officer Jailed For Violating No-Contact Order Case Involved Alleged Battering Of Girlfriend
A Newport police officer is in Pend Oreille County Jail for violating a no-contact order in a pending criminal case that involves allegations that he repeatedly battered his live-in girlfriend.
Officer Mike Barnes, 31, must remain in jail until Monday while arrangements are made for him to be electronically tethered to his home. Barnes must pay for the monitoring under an agreement negotiated by Prosecutor Tom Metzger and Barnes’ attorney, Phillip Wetzel.
District Court Judge Chuck Baechler scheduled a hearing Monday to review the proposed terms of Barnes’ release.
Among other conditions to be added to those imposed by Superior Court Judge Rebecca Baker, Barnes must also give up his cellular telephone.
Metzger said Barnes’ regular telephone will be restricted, if possible, so that he can’t call his former girlfriend, Bobbie Jo Hydorn.
Barnes also will be required to post a $15,000 cash bond that will be forfeited immediately if he again violates conditions of his release.
Barnes was arrested and jailed Sunday morning for allegedly calling Hydorn “on more than one occasion” Friday and Saturday, Metzger said. He declined to comment on what Barnes may have said to Hydorn, noting there is some confusion in the reports he has received.
Hydorn, 25, continues to be an uncooperative witness, Metzger said. Investigators said she not only failed to report the attacks against her, but refused to supply medical records or to confirm the assaults except by nodding her head.
Barnes remained silent during a brief court appearance Tuesday, in which he appeared clad in an orange jail jumpsuit.
He is to be arraigned March 5 on one count of third-degree domestic assault, two counts of fourth-degree domestic assault, one count of second-degree malicious mischief and one count of obstructing a law enforcement officer.
In addition to assaulting Hydorn, Barnes is accused of hiding a fellow Newport police officer’s patrol car for 10 hours last August.
Hydorn allegedly told witnesses that she helped Barnes hide the car of an officer he disliked so much he perused the officer’s personnel records in search of information to use against him.
Barnes is charged with three assaults against Hydorn over a period of months. Metzger said the officer sprained Hydorn’s arm by twisting it behind her back, gashed her thigh by throwing a set of keys at her, and badly bruised her by grabbing her leg and yanking her off a couch.
, DataTimes