A Swanton police officer was fired Wednesday, just one day after he was arrested in Maumee on six criminal counts stemming from a domestic violence call at his own home. Caleb Hensley, 30, was found by police covered in blood alongside the victim, who was taken to the hospital for treatment, after neighbors reported hearing screaming and pounding coming from the residence.
Maumee police were called to Hensley's home in the 1400 block of Bradshaw Court on August 11 after neighbors reported the disturbance, according to dispatch records reported by WTOL 11. Officers suspected Hensley had been drinking, per the station's report. He now faces felonious assault, simple assault, strangulation, abduction, domestic violence and violation of a protection order, according to Cleveland.com, which cited reporting from WTOL Channel 11 and WTVG Channel 13.
Hensley pleaded not guilty to all six counts in Maumee Municipal Court, where a judge ordered him held on a $200,000 bond, Cleveland.com reported. The outlet's report, credited to reporter Cliff Pinckard, noted that WTVG Channel 13 confirmed Hensley was fired Wednesday by the Swanton Police Department, a day after his arrest.
A Fast Exit for a Probationary Officer
Hensley was still in his probationary period when he was let go, a status that stripped away the civil-service protections typically afforded to sworn officers. Under Ohio public-sector employment standards, probationary officers can be dismissed immediately upon arrest rather than placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation, the same report notes. That meant Swanton PD could cut ties with Hensley within a day of learning of his arrest, rather than waiting out a lengthier disciplinary process.
Hensley had been hired by the Swanton Police Department in December 2025, bringing roughly six years of prior law enforcement experience, including service with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, and had worked as a certified firearms instructor, according to hiring records reported by WTOL 11. The Swanton Police Department, headquartered at 219 Chestnut Street, provides police services for Swanton Village and contracted coverage for Swanton Township under Police Chief John Trejo, who has led the agency since May 2023.
A Dismissed Charge in His Past
WTOL 11 also reported that Hensley had previously faced a domestic violence charge that was dismissed before this arrest, though the specific circumstances of that earlier case remain unclear. Hensley lives in Maumee, and the August 11 incident marks the first time he has faced criminal charges tied to a domestic dispute since joining Swanton PD.
Why Strangulation Carries Extra Weight in Ohio
The strangulation charge against Hensley falls under a relatively new section of Ohio law. Ohio Revised Code § 2903.18, enacted through Senate Bill 288 in April 2023, elevated strangulation from a misdemeanor to a felony offense, giving prosecutors the ability to charge domestic violence suspects with felony strangulation alongside assault. Legislative documentation from the Ohio Senate cited research from the Strangulation Training Institute showing that domestic violence victims who suffer strangulation from a partner are 750% more likely to be killed by that partner in a later incident.
The statistic underscores why the charge is treated so seriously by prosecutors statewide. Data from the Columbus City Attorney's Office, reported by the Joslyn Law Firm, found that strangulation was documented in roughly 20% of Ohio domestic violence cases, with some studies estimating that up to 68% of intimate partner violence victims face near-fatal strangulation at some point in an abusive relationship.
Hensley's case adds to a string of officer-involved domestic violence arrests that have surfaced around the country in recent months, including cases in Columbus, Massachusetts, Florida and California. All six charges against Hensley remain allegations at this stage, and he has pleaded not guilty as the case moves through Maumee Municipal Court.
