Officer accused of assaulting wife, causing SWAT standoff

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Braselton police lieutenant is in trouble with the law himself after allegedly assaulting his wife and then holding a SWAT team at bay for several hours.

Lt. Rob Holt was suspended without pay just before he appeared in Hall County Court on battery and kidnapping charges Monday.

A Magistrate Judge told Holt via a video feed from jail that the battery charges involved "scratch marks, swollen ankle (on) your wife by assaulting her and dragging her."

Hall County Sheriff's deputies say neighbors called 911 Saturday night saying they heard a woman screaming for help from the Holt's River Hill Drive House in Flowery Branch.

When deputies arrived and spotted Holt's Braselton Police car parked out front, they backed away and called for reinforcements.

"They observed a male pick up a female and then drop her. She appeared to not be in a fully conscious state," said Hall County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Nicole Bailes. "It does make it tough on us, especially knowing it's one of your own, but we also know one of our own has specific training so we worry about weapons in the home and the training that he had."

Neighbors were evacuated during the three hour standoff with the SWAT team.

"They actually told us to evacuate the house because things were going down or happening I guess," said neighbor Sergio Castillo. "It was kind of intense, kind of scary actually."

When Channel 2’s Tony Thomas visited the Holt home on Monday, he could see the hole in a front window from where the SWAT team threw a tear gas canister into the house. Officials say after the gas spread through the home, Holt surrendered. His wife was still inside the home and suffered minor injuries.

Commanders with the Braselton Police Department say Holt led the patrol division for the small town. His bosses are waiting on more details from the Sheriff’s Department and court before possibly taking any more action.

While his commanders seemed surprised at the incident, Holt's neighbor was not.

Castillo says there had been several instances before, especially with Holt's wife.

"We could never have friends over. We could never enjoy our private lives because any time we would leave, she would yell stuff at us," Castillo said.

Holt was given an $8,100 bond, but as of Monday evening, he remained in jail.

WSBTV