Judge clears path to trial in child abuse case against former Chowchilla, Fresno police officer

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A erstwhile Chowchilla constabulary serviceman accused of kidnapping and kid maltreatment successful Fresno County appeared successful tribunal connected Friday.

Douglas Divine has pleaded not blameworthy to each the charges against him. He faces 2 misdemeanor counts of kid cruelty against his girlfriend's 12-year-old and 15-year-old children, arsenic good arsenic 2 felony counts for allegedly kidnapping and falsely imprisoning her 22-year-old son.

"He held maine down and past deed maine similar 4 much times," Matthew Silva, the 22-year-old, said.

For much than an hour, Silva elaborate the alleged maltreatment from past June. He testified that Divine had a weapon and enactment him successful handcuffs.

"I don't consciousness similar I did thing incorrect to beryllium handcuffed, truthful I was resisting arsenic overmuch arsenic possible," Silva said.

Silva testified that the incidental began with a verbal statement and rapidly escalated.

He said Divine past ordered him and his younger siblings into a car and took them to their grandfather's house, wherever Silva yelled astatine a passerby to telephone 911.

"I couldn't truly agree," Silva said astir the car ride. "I already had handcuffs connected me."

The young antheral said his mother, who is simply a KFSN-TV employee, was connected the telephone with Divine during portion of the incident.

"He said, 'So I enactment him successful cuffs.' And the archetypal happening I perceive is, 'Good,'" Silva testified astir his mother.

The defence connected Friday suggested Silva has a past of cause use, seeming to reason Divine mightiness person feared for his safety.

"You don't callback Mr. Divine telling you that helium wasn't going to instrumentality the handcuffs disconnected due to the fact that you already attacked him?" defence lawyer Marshall Hodgkins asked.

Divine -- a one-time Fresno constabulary serviceman -- was the recipient of the department's Life Saving Medal successful 2020. He was with the Chowchilla Police Department astatine the clip of the alleged crime, but was aboriginal terminated.

On Friday, the 22-year-old testified that during the incident, Divine deed him truthful hard that helium mislaid vision.

"I saw flashes, I guess, erstwhile my eyes were closed," Silva said.

The justice ruled determination is capable grounds for prosecutors to instrumentality the lawsuit to trial. Divine is ordered to instrumentality connected May 18.

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