Suspended East Ridge police officer makes initial court appearance in domestic assault case

Joseph Hawks making his initial court appearance on a domestic assault charge. He has been suspended without pay from the East Ridge Police Department.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- An East Ridge police officer charged with domestic violence made his initial court appearance Wednesday.

Joseph Hawks is charged with aggravated domestic assault.

A Hamilton County affidavit states that he broke a woman’s nose after an interaction, before going to his work truck with a gun.

He has since been suspended without pay from the East Ridge Police Department.

In court today, attorneys tried to argue that a no contact order against him should be lifted, something that Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes disagreed with.

Judge Starnes said, “Here’s my problem, the allegations against him are really bad… Extremely bad…Among the other allegations, including the one that he slammed her face into a mirror.”

Hawks will reappear in court in January.