Centralia cop charged with domestic assault, several other felonies
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A now-former Centralia police officer has been charged with seven felonies after he is accused of assaulting a woman over the course of several months.
Curtis Higby, of Mexico, Missouri, was charged on Thursday with two counts of first-degree domestic assault, a count of armed criminal action, tampering with evidence, third-degree domestic assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.
He is being held at the Audrain County Jail without bond. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26.
A court filing describes Higby as a Centralia police officer. A Centralia Board of Alderman meeting agenda shows Higby was appointed as a full-time officer on April 21. A Department of Public Safety spokesman told ABC 17 News in an email that Higby has a valid peace officer’s license, but is not currently commissioned by any law enforcement agency. Centralia officials confirmed he was fired on Friday.
The probable cause statement says at least three incidents occurred from Feb. 1-Aug. 9 and the victim spoke with law enforcement on Aug. 16.
Court documents say Higby slammed the victim into a dresser on Feb. 1. During another assault in May, Higby allegedly held a gun to his head before pointing it at the victim before leaving the residence, the statement says. Higby allegedly came back to the residence and taunted the victim with the gun again, the statement says.
On Aug. 9, Higby was accused of pushing the victim and strangling her in front of a baby, the statement says. He then allegedly grabbed a gun and pushed it against the victim before pushing her out of the room, the statement says.
Higby allegedly denied pointing a gun at the victim, but claimed he hit the victim on Aug. 9 after he claimed the victim tried to smother the baby, the statement says.
Investigators learned that Higby has a camera in the room where the last assault allegedly occurred, but “gaps in recordings existed around that time period,” on Aug. 9, the statement says.