Boonville police officer charged with domestic assault

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville police officer has been charged with domestic assault after a dispute over a child early Sunday.

Jeffrey C. Jackson of Boonville was charged Sunday with third-degree domestic assault and second-degree child endangerment, according to online court records. Police were called to Jackson's home after he allegedly slapped his ex-girlfriend and took their child from her arms, according to a probable cause statement.

Boonville police called in a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper to investigate and Cooper County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Phelps has asked for a special prosecutor, citing a conflict of interest because of his work with the police department.

Jackson told the trooper investigating the case that he and his ex-girlfriend had argued all night and that she was trying to take their child away from him. The woman told officers that Jackson dragged her off the couch and around the house by her ankles before slapping her.

The trooper writes that Jackson was booked in the Cooper County Jail early Sunday.

A booking photo was not immediately available. No court hearings had been set as of Monday morning.

Jackson has been with the department since 2021. He was on paid administrative leave Monday, Boonville Police Chief Randy Ayers said. His status will be reviewed later, Ayers said.