Joseph Hawks | Courtesy: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — An East Ridge police officer has been placed on leave without pay after being charged with an aggravated domestic violence offense.

On November 13, 2025, deputies responded to the 6000 block of Dayton Boulevard after being contacted for a domestic violence report.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with the victim, who told them that Joseph Hawks assaulted her.

According to an affidavit, “in an attempt to be funny,” the victim “placed Hawk’s hand on her buttocks and farted.”

This action caused Hawks to grab the victim by the hair on the back of her head, drag her to the bathroom and then he “slammed her face onto the bathroom mirror two times.”

The victims nose was “pouring blood” to the point it was

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