Edgewood football coach charged with domestic violence
Jun. 30—BY BRIAN HAYTCHER
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — Edgewood High School head football coach Jon Butchko was arrested and charged with domestic violence on June 25, according to a report from the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies were called to a home in the 3800 block of State Road in Ashtabula Township at 11:21 p.m. on June 25, according to the report.
At the residence, deputies met a woman who said she was Butchko's girlfriend. She said Butchko came home and started a fight, according to the report. She said Butchko tried to take her phone, and it fell and struck Butchko in the face, and then he "backhanded" her several times, the report said. Deputies observed red marks on the woman's arm and face.
In the report, deputies stated Butchko said he and his girlfriend got into a fight after he came home, and he took a shower to avoid the fight. Then, Butchko said his girlfriend started playing music loudly while he was trying to sleep, and that he tried to take her phone to turn the music down. At that point, Butchko said she slapped him four times and spit on him three times.
Butchko was arrested and transported to jail, where he claimed to have a concussion. Initially, Butchko said he did not want to press charges, then said he did want to pursue charges after being taken into custody. Additionally, he accused his girlfriend of attempting to use a credit card without his consent after he was taken into custody, according to the report.
According to the report, Butchko does not have any prior domestic violence convictions, and the charge was a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
Butchko was arraigned in Ashtabula Municipal Court on Monday, and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. Bond was set at $2,500, with a condition of no contact with the victim, according to court records. A pre-trial hearing is set for 9 a.m. on Aug. 3.
Buckeye Local Schools Superintendent Patrick Colucci said Butchko is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, and the district will fully cooperate with the police department.
"I just look forward to the legal people around me presenting the best defense from a personally embarrassing situation," Butchko said when reached for comment on Tuesday.
Dan Hiner contributed to this report.
