Tomball Police Chief Rob Hauck last week responded to criticism over department practices after a Tomball woman was arrested late last month for allegedly assaulting her teenage daughter.

Karen McAdams was arrested April 23 for assault of a family member, a misdemeanor. McAdams told KHOU Channel 11 in a report that initially ran on their station that she was whipping her daughter for behavior she found to be inappropriate.

“This (story) makes it appear as if a parent simply spanks their child the Tomball Police Department will arrest them,” Hauck said. “That is total rubbish.”

McAdams told Channel 11 that her daughter had previously ran away with a 47-year-old man, that McAdams had found a used condom and syringe in her daughter’s closet, and was attempting to discipline her after she ran away late last month.

However, Hauck said that McAdams was not arrested for merely spanking her daughter.

“There is demonstrative evidence that Karen McAdams physically abused her daughter in ways that had nothing to do with spanking, and therefore our officers had a responsibility to make the arrest,” Hauck said.

According to Capt. Rick Grassi of the Tomball Police Department, following the initial report by the daughter, both she and McAdams appeared voluntarily at the station to give their reports of the incident. Grassi said photos were taken of the alleged injuries to the daughter, which revealed bruising.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office stated last week that McAdams “struck the complainant with her hand.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” McAdams told Channel 11.

Hauck said there is a difference between discipline and abuse.

“As parents we have a responsibility to raise our children to be productive citizens,” Hauck said. “The formative years, particularly the teen years, can be very challenging.  Children must be parented, and for some that includes discipline in the form of corporal punishment. The law allows for this, but it does not allow for physical abuse.”

“If the police get involved, then you're the one who gets in trouble - not your child,” McAdams told Channel 11.

Grassi said that after the department’s investigation, officers determined the “punishment was beyond reason.”

McAdams was arrested at the department. According to the DA’s office, she posted a $1,500 bail and was scheduled to make her first court appearance May 8. Results of that hearing were unavailable at press time last week.

Attempts to reach McAdams for further comment were unsuccessful.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed