Domestic Violence Case Against Tuscaloosa Police Captain Dismissed

The felony domestic violence charge against a high-ranking Tuscaloosa Police captain was dismissed last month after the alleged victim declined to proceed with prosecution.

As the Thread and other outlets reported in October, Captain Kip Hart was charged with domestic violence strangulation after his long-time romantic partner accused him of grabbing her by the throat during a late-night fight at a residence in Tuscaloosa.

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Hart is the commander of the Tuscaloosa Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division and spent 24 hours in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a mandatory hold before he was released on bond.

In court documents filed after his arrest, investigators said Hart admitted to covering the woman's mouth because she was yelling at him, but said she struck him several times, and he denied ever choking her.

Court documents also show the case was dismissed on November 21st after Hart and the alleged victim appeared in court for a preliminary hearing. There, she reportedly told Circuit Judge Brad Almond that she was no longer interested in pursuing the felony charge.

"On those grounds, the State of Alabama is otherwise unable to proceed," Almond wrote, and an assistant district attorney moved to dismiss the case.

Almond granted the motion, and the case against Captain Hart was dismissed.

For more exclusive coverage of crime and courts in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.