PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Portsmouth councilman De’Andre Barnes was arrested Tuesday on domestic assault and battery in connection to an incident involving his daughter, but he was released without criminal charges being brought against him.
Barnes was not charged with a crime after a magistrate judge denied the arrest warrants against him. Barnes has not returned calls from WAVY seeking comment.
On Tuesday, Portsmouth police responded to a call at 7:44 a.m. about a domestic dispute at 4609 Deep Creek Boulevard.
According to a Portsmouth Police report, a witness stated she was driving down Deep Creek Boulevard when she heard a female screaming for help and saw a man dragging that female by her hair into a silver Nissan.
Additional people took notice and assisted in blocking the man in under the assumption he was attempting to kidnap or abduct the female.
The report said that man was Barnes, and Barnes stated he was the father of the female, a juvenile. The report quotes Barnes as saying his daughter was trying to take an iPad to school when she wasn’t allowed to, so he went to the bus stop to retrieve it.
Upon arrival to the scene, officers interviewed all individuals involved, including the witness. The witness provided a detailed statement regarding the incident.
Based on the witness account, officers decided there was probable cause to arrest Barnes, who was then taken into custody.
Barnes was placed into custody for domestic assault. Following his arrest, the police presented evidence to the Portsmouth magistrate on duty, David Whitfield. However, the warrants were denied, leading to Barnes’ release.
Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover said details are still unclear to him, but he believes the Magistrate’s Office followed protocol and assessed the incident accurately.
“They have guidelines in which they need to follow and I’m sure that they will do their job and we expect that,” Glover said.
The juvenile victim told police that, though she felt her hair being pulled during the dispute, she did not think it was intentional or deliberate. Glover said all residents are treated fairly, and that includes city council members.
“If something was done, no one should ever be above the law at following the rules of our city and our society,” Glover said.
The magistrate’s office refused comment. Child Protective Services was notified, and the juvenile remains in the custody of her mother.
In a statement, the Portsmouth Police Department wrote they are “committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of all citizens, regardless of their position or status.”