Frank Williams: Milwaukee cop arrested for assaulting and choking 7-year-old girl with belt

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: According to court documents and local media reports, a Milwaukee police officer is accused of beating and strangling a 7-year-old girl. He is currently charged with felony child abuse.

According to a criminal complaint obtained, Frank Williams, a 30-year-old Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) officer, has been charged with one count of felony strangulation and suffocation and one count of felony physical child abuse.

MPD suspends Frank Williams for child abuse

A local newspaper stated that the MPD stated on January 18 that an officer had been placed under full suspension after being detained as a suspect in a case involving child abuse.

As of Saturday, January 20, the condition of the victim, who has not been named but has been identified as Williams' relative was not known.

At the time of release, it was unclear if Williams had hired a lawyer to take action on his behalf.

According to the criminal complaint shared by WISN, MPD Sergeant Zachery Thoms they responded to a report of child abuse at the emergency room of the Children's Wisconsin campus in Milwaukee on January 17.

When Thoms visited the 7-year-old victim in the hospital, he reported seeing seven or eight bruises on her thigh in addition to one on her arm. 

Per court documents, the child told Thoms during her interview that Williams had "whooped" her with a thick belt the day before even though she was meant to be napping.

The criminal complaint claims that after Williams hit the young girl with the belt, she claimed he put his hands around her throat and choked her.

The girl told Thoms, "He squished my neck," adding that she was having trouble breathing. She informed the sergeant that Williams had choked her previously.

7-year-old girl was allegedly beaten

The girl claimed that Williams ordered her to stop talking back during the altercation and that she fled into the hallway. She reported to the police that a woman and a 4-year-old boy had witnessed the encounter on January 16.

As per the criminal complaint, the woman allegedly told the girl to "stop moving," she also allegedly told Williams, "That's enough." "No it's not," he replied, according to court documents, Newsweek reported.

The 7-year-old girl had been beaten before Williams' belt struck the 4-year-old boy as per the police. She told them she heard the boy cry. It was unclear how the girl got to the hospital or if the boy was injured.

The "woman" the young child mentioned in her police interview was not named in the criminal complaint.

Williams was released from custody early on Saturday morning, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, and the formal charges were filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. In 2016, Williams took the oath of office as an MPD recruit.