Kennesaw councilman charged in domestic incident with wife
Mar. 5—A member of the Kennesaw City Council was charged with simple assault and criminal damage to property after a violent altercation that followed a night of drinking, according to police documents.
Chris Henderson, who represents Post 4, is accused in a police report of throwing several objects at his wife and police officers, including picture frames, candles, a lamp, flower pots and glass vases.
The Jan. 31 incident involved three others — one man and two women, according to a Kennesaw Police Department incident report.
An arrest warrant filed for the incident says Henderson "placed [his wife] in reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a violent injury," as well as "knowingly and without authority interfere with property in a manner as to endanger human life."
Kennesaw police responded shortly after 3 a.m. on Jan. 31 to Henderson's home in Kennesaw. Henderson and his wife were upstairs arguing, and yelling could be heard from outside the home. Officers made contact with Henderson's wife and had her come downstairs. A witness told police Henderson had access to an AR-15 rifle and a Glock 19 pistol upstairs, according to the police report.
Police ordered Henderson to come downstairs. Instead, Henderson stood at the top of the stairs yelling and threw things at his wife and the officers, objects which "came within inches" of striking people, the report says. Officers drew their guns and also had a ballistic shield ready. Henderson then went into a room and emerged holding a knife.
Henderson was told to drop the knife and come downstairs. He complied and spoke with officers before being arrested, according to the report.
Police spoke with all five members of the group and learned that the other man in the group got in a fight with Henderson before police arrived. The man had a large cut on his forehead, "dried blood which covered his head and face," blood coming from his nose and a cut to his lip. The man denied medical attention and did not want to press charges, the report says.
Henderson had cuts to his wrist and legs and admitted to fighting the other man. According to the report, officers' body cameras captured Henderson throwing objects over the railing at police and his wife.
Police also found a broken door on the ground. Henderson's wife told police it had been broken during the fight between the two men, and that Henderson later threw the door at her, the report says.
Henderson was taken to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center following his arrest. Bond for Henderson was set at $4,000. He was released later that day, court records show. Nobody else involved in the incident was arrested.
Henderson did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
City of Kennesaw spokesperson Rebecca Graham said in an emailed statement that the city is "aware of the arrest and charges brought against Councilmember Henderson. Under both Georgia law and the Kennesaw Charter, no action can be taken at this stage unless the councilmember is formally indicted."
According to City Council minutes, Henderson has continued to attend and participate in meetings.
