Pevely police chief suspended amid domestic assault investigation

PEVELY, Mo. -- An eastern Missouri police chief has been put on paid leave while a domestic assault allegation is investigated.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Pevely Mayor Stephanie Haas announced Monday night police chief Charles "Tony" Moutray is off the job and an attorney has been hired to investigate.

A Jefferson County Sheriff's Department incident report found Moutray forcefully moved his wife by her neck to get his cellphone from her in November after she discovered he was having an affair. The former prosecutor declined to charge him, but a new prosecutor took office last week.

Moutray's attorney, Allison Sweeney, said experienced prosecutors had found insufficient evidence to pursue charges.

Moutray's wife's attorney, Danielle Pelot, called the indefinite suspension of Moutray a step in the right direction.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com