The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division has concluded their investigation into the domestic altercation and subsequent arrest of Sgt. Jason Saal that occurred on September 19, 2020, when he was charged with Simple Battery Family Violence.
After extensive interviews of all parties involved, it was determined that Sgt. Saal was in violation of several RCSO policies as they relate to Code of Conduct, according to a press release.
“Effective today, October 6, 2020, Sgt. Saal was terminated from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office,” the release says.
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A sheriff’s report provides new details on the weekend fight between RCSO Sgt. Jason Saal and his deputy girlfriend that could seriously impact his career or even land him in jail after his arrest.
Saal and girlfriend Alisa Anderson had a gathering at their apartment on Alexander Drive and then started fighting into early Saturday morning (Sept. 19).
Witness Melvin Walker, also a deputy, told responding officers that Saal and his girlfriend “had been going at it for a while.” Walker said he was in another bedroom of the apartment with his girlfriend and heard the couple’s fight. He urged officers to “hurry up and separate Jason and Alisha.”
Responding Deputy Jay Rawlings went inside the apartment and found a bedroom door locked. He heard the victim crying through the door. When he got inside, he found the victim lying on her back behind Saal holding her back.
Here is what the victim told the responding officer:
The couple has lived together since August 2019 with a 5-year-old daughter in the residence with them.
On Friday night, they were having a gathering that lasted throughout the night and alcohol was involved. During the gathering, she observed Saal receive a Snapchat message from another female. She questioned him and he became angry.
Anderson said she took Saal’s phone from the night stand and he became very angry.
“A physical struggle ensued with her to regain his phone,” the report says. “She had never seen the aggressor angry to this level before.”
She said he punched a wall in the bedroom and broke a dresser drawer with her belongings in it.
Deputy Rawlings observed visible injury to her victim’s neck, including three abrasions.
Saal initially denied a physical struggle, telling Deputy Rawlings that it was only verbal. The officer asked him about how he sustained an injury to his hand and his neck.
“(Saal) stated that he had been running into walls and the hole in the wall was old damage,” the report says. “(He) later admitted to punching he wall.”
The witness said the 5-year-old child saw the fight and was underneath Anderson’s leg as Saal was on top of the victim trying to get his phone back.
“(Walker’s) main concern was to remove the minor child from the incident,” the report says. “The witness said he has never seen the primary aggressor this angry before.”
Saal was arrested on the scene and taken to jail for simple battery – family violence. He bonded out on Tuesday.
