An Owensboro Police Department officer who was arrested in March for the second time in five months on a domestic violence charge has been terminated, according to department officials.
Christina Butler, 39, was fired effective April 23 following a Professional Standards Unit investigation into her March 23 arrest, OPD officials announced Thursday night.
That arrest stems from an incident at River Valley Behavioral Health in Owensboro, where Butler’s daughter had just been admitted. According to the citation, Kentucky State Police were called to the facility after a reported physical altercation between Butler and her 13-year-old daughter.
Both Butler and her daughter told officers they struck each other during an argument, reports show. Witnesses reported that Butler also punched a staff member in the face, and that it took three staff members to separate her from her daughter. Troopers observed loose hair in the room and scratch marks on both individuals, according to the citation.
Butler was charged with assault in the fourth degree (domestic violence) – minor injury and was lodged in the Daviess County Detention Center.
Court records show Butler posted a $1,500 cash bond following her arrest. Her case is scheduled for a pretrial conference on May 27 in Daviess District Court.
The Owensboro Police Department said it opened an internal investigation following the arrest, which has since concluded. The department announced Butler’s termination on April 23.
This marks Butler’s second arrest on a similar charge in recent months.
In the earlier case, Butler was arrested Oct. 30, 2025, after deputies responded to a disturbance at her residence on Little Bluestem Drive. According to the citation, deputies were called after someone reported hearing screaming. Butler told deputies her daughter had assaulted her, but deputies observed visible injuries on the child and determined Butler had caused the injuries during the altercation.
She was charged with assault in the fourth degree (domestic violence) – minor injury in that case as well. Court records show Butler was released on her own recognizance following the October arrest. The case proceeded through multiple pretrial conferences before being dismissed without prejudice on Jan. 23, 2026.
Following that arrest, Butler was placed on administrative leave from Oct. 31 through Dec. 11, 2025, according to the department. An internal investigation into that incident did not sustain allegations that she violated departmental policies.
Department records show Butler has previously been the subject of internal investigations, including a sustained finding of unbecoming conduct in September 2025 that resulted in a letter of reprimand.
The department’s domestic violence policy states that arrest is the preferred response in such cases and that officers accused of domestic misconduct are to be treated the same as any civilian when probable cause exists.
The Kentucky State Police is handling the criminal investigation into the March incident.
