In the early hours of July 20, the Lapel Police Department arrested 55-year-old Noblesville Fire Department Capt. Brett Etherington on a preliminary charge of domestic battery.

Trevor Hash, division chief for NFD, stated Etherington was off duty during his arrest. Hash said per NFD policies and procedures, Etherington – who has since been released from custody — was placed under administrative leave pending further investigation and will remain on leave until further notice.

According to court documents from the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office, a Lapel police officer was dispatched to the 7th and Clara streets area for a wellness check. An Uber driver called 911 and reported he dropped a man off and believed he saw him assaulting a woman inside a home.

The officer found the home near the 800 block of Clara Street, and when he looked inside, it appeared to be “destroyed by someone or something.” Court documents state that the TV was off the wall, and there was broken glass on the floor.

The police officer stated he located the female at the back of the house. She told police she and Etherington had attended a concert and then left for a bar. When they returned home, they argued, and Etherington left the home to go to the fire station.

After leaving, the woman said she believed Etherington had taken her phone and followed him to the station. Upon arrival, Etherington denied having her phone and told her to leave. The woman took Etherington’s truck keys before leaving, stating “he was intoxicated” and she “didn’t want him to drive.”

Etherington took the Uber home, which is where the (alleged) altercation broke out. The woman said he had “grabbed her face,” and the officer found scratches on her face and back. Etherington then took the woman’s car back to the fire station, where police could not locate him.

Police reported that after “much persuasion” over the phone, Etherington met them for an interview. He confirmed that he and the woman fought after she took his keys. He said the woman was responsible for the destroyed house, stating she “went crazy like she always does and destroyed the house.”

Court documents state Etherington said he “never once touched her” when asked about the female’s scratch marks.

A breathalyzer test reported Etherington’s blood alcohol level at 0.8. He was booked into the Madison County jail, and according to the Anderson City Court, he was released from custody on the morning of July 23.