A Vancouver man who was in court Monday to face an allegation of child abuse reportedly became upset and struggled with Clark County sheriff’s deputies, who forcibly escorted him from the courtroom.
Video shot by The Columbian’s news partner KATU-TV shows Christopher Aleo yelling and slamming his fists down at what appears to be the end of his hearing.
Aleo was in Superior Court to face allegations of second-degree assault of a child and fourth-degree domestic violence assault.
He is accused of hitting his 12-year-old son Sunday afternoon during a supervised visit at his Vancouver house, court records show.
Deputies responded at about 6 p.m. to the 6700 block of Northeast Parr Lane but were told the victims were already at a hospital receiving treatment. At the hospital, deputies saw numerous abrasions and small cuts along the boy’s neck and shoulders, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The boy told deputies that he and his grandmother, who has custody of him, were visiting Aleo. The boy found a garden hose belonging to his grandmother in his dad’s garage, and Aleo told him not to say anything about it, the affidavit states.
Later, the boy told his grandmother about the hose, and Aleo overheard. He ran into the living room and yelled, “you snitch!” He then grabbed the boy by his neck and squeezed. The boy told deputies he couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. Aleo started hitting him, repeatedly, with his closed fist, according to the court document.
Aleo’s girlfriend eventually ran into the living room and stopped Aleo, who reportedly threw the boy to the ground. The boy ran outside, court records said.
Aleo then told the boy’s grandmother to get out of his house. He grabbed a playpen made of PVC pipe and struck her across the left side of her face, the affidavit states.
On Monday, Judge John Fairgrieve appointed Aleo an attorney and set his bail at $50,000. He will be arraigned Friday, court records show.
In KATU’s video, Aleo can be heard cursing and yelling that he had been doing well for 10 months. “And now you guys have me right back in the system again,” he said.
Corrections deputies are then seen pulling Aleo away from the front of the judge’s bench, at which point he begins to struggle and is wrestled into a nearby chair. He is then led out of the courtroom but continues to yell. Later, KATU captures him being wheeled out of the courthouse in a safety restraint chair.
