Prosecutors said at a court hearing on Dec. 12 that police received multiple calls to investigate an alleged domestic incident involving a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer accused of assaulting his long-term girlfriend.
Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Melinda Rinehart said during Samuel Saxon’s common plea court arraignment that Cincinnati police received at least 23 calls in a year and a half.
Saxon, 47, faces charges of felonious assault, strangulation and domestic violence in the Dec. 5 incident at a Coreyville apartment complex. Records show he was arrested that night.
Reinhart said a neighbor witnessed the attack and made a recording that he shared with police.
Neighbors heard screams and when they looked outside their door, they saw Saxon put an arm around the woman’s neck and dragged her into the hallway, Reinhart said.
After Saxon took the woman back to the apartment, screams continued inside the house. When police arrived, the woman was again outside the apartment, Reinhart said. She had several bruises on and near her neck. She did not cooperate with police.
Saxon’s attorney, Ted Brittingham, said during his arraignment in Hamilton County Civil Court that the woman contacted him in an attempt to have the charges dismissed.
Saxon pleads not guilty.
Previous events may have been deleted
Reinhart said the earliest incident dates back to 2018, when they were in Virginia. The woman suffered a broken nose and required surgery.
A few years later, in San Diego, police responding to a call about a domestic dispute found Saxon sitting naked in a bathroom with a knife to his neck.
Reinhart said any charges related to these and other incidents may have been sealed or expunged.
In April, the woman was taken to a Cincinnati hospital with a broken pelvis, but no charges were filed, according to Reinhart.
District Judge Tom Beridon set bail at $400,000. Saxon was being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center on Dec. 12.
Saxons on indefinite leave
Saxon, assistant field office director for ICE’s Cincinnati branch office, has been removed from his position and placed on indefinite administrative leave, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.
He has been with the agency since 2005.
Samuel L. Saxon, pictured in the front row wearing glasses and a red tie, was awarded the Secretary of State’s Meritorious Service Medal in 2016 for his contributions to the Department of Homeland Security.
“As a public servant of a law enforcement agency, every ICE employee is required to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. Employees who do not adhere to these standards will be dealt with appropriately,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Enquirer media partner Fox 19 contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Prosecutors say police called local ICE officer’s home 23 times