An Owatonna father is facing criminal charges after police say he struck his 14-year-old son more than 30 times with punches and hammer fists following a dispute over the boy's new Instagram account. Daniel Galvin was charged with gross-misdemeanor malicious punishment of a child and misdemeanor domestic assault after officers responded to a domestic disturbance at his residence on October 5.
Officers were called to Galvin's home at 42 School St. E. in Owatonna, according to Southernminn.com / Owatonna People's Press. The reporting party told police that her 14-year-old son had created an Instagram account using his school-issued Chromebook, and Galvin reportedly told police that he told his son he would not be going to school that day after learning about the account.
What Police Say Happened During the Confrontation
According to the outlet's report, Galvin told police he placed his son in a headlock and slapped him repeatedly in an effort to calm him down. He reportedly described the tactic as something he had used before, saying he “popped (the child) with an open hand and that usually calms him down when he gets in these fits of outrage.”
Police said the confrontation escalated well beyond a slap. Officers reported that Galvin hip-threw the child and entered a side-mount position on top of him, then struck him more than 30 times with punches and hammer fists. Police said the boy eventually rolled onto his stomach and covered his head in an attempt to protect himself from further blows, the same report notes.
Video Evidence and Medical Response
Investigators reportedly requested footage from the Owatonna bus company that showed the child walking toward the house with Galvin following him; the requested video was from a school bus that was present during the altercation, per the same account. Owatonna police transported the child to an Owatonna emergency room for a mental-health evaluation and an injury check.
Galvin now faces one gross-misdemeanor count of malicious punishment of a child and a misdemeanor domestic assault charge. Under Minnesota law, a parent, legal guardian or caretaker who, through an intentional act or series of intentional acts, uses unreasonable force or cruel discipline that is excessive under the circumstances can be found guilty of malicious punishment of a child. Separately, Minnesota's domestic assault statute makes it a misdemeanor for someone to commit specified acts against a family or household member, including conduct intended to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or the intentional infliction of harm, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
