Honk News (Indianapolis, IN) – An Indiana man, aged 47, has been taken into custody following accusations of assaulting his intellectually disabled son, 20, over a missing pair of glasses. He reportedly told authorities, “what happens in my house, stays in my house.” On Friday, Claude Davis Sr. was arrested and faces a felony charge for battery against an individual with a mental or physical disability, according to court records.
Officers from the Muncie Police Department responded at approximately 8:33 a.m. on January 31 to the Muncie Career Center located at 4301 S. Cowan Road regarding a battery incident that occurred earlier that morning at a residence on the 1300 block of E. Willard Street. The residence is located approximately 55 miles to the northeast of Indianapolis.
An adviser at the career center informed the officer that a 20-year-old, Claude Davis Jr., reported to the school staff that his father had “slapped him in the head four times” that morning “due to his anger over Claude Jr. not being able to locate his glasses.”
The adviser supplied law enforcement with documentation indicating that the purported victim had received a diagnosis of a moderate intellectual disability, rendering them unable to read or write.
The individual reported to authorities that he continued to experience pain in his head from the slap he received.
Officers arrived at Davis’ residence around 10:15 a.m. that day and “rapped firmly” on the door, yet there was no response. The officers were aware that Davis was due to pick up his son shortly, so they positioned themselves down the block and waited for him to exit before initiating a traffic stop.
Davis explained to the authorities that he had taken his son’s phone and keys due to Claude Jr. misplacing his glasses that morning. Davis was questioned about whether he had punched a hole in the wall and reportedly replied, “I don’t hit my kids,” before admitting that he did indeed punch the wall, as stated in the affidavit.
Davis was questioned about whether he struck his son at home or in the vehicle, and he maintained his denial of any physical harm. He offered no reasoning for why the child would disclose the supposed incident to school authorities, other than to suggest that he and the child often have conflicts.
Davis was subsequently ordered out of the vehicle by the police and taken into custody.
Davis has been released following the posting of a $5,000 bond. The timing of his initial court appearance remains uncertain at this moment.