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A Midlands, South Carolina, assistant police chief is facing assault and child endangerment charges stemming from an alleged altercation with his own granddaughter, according to an incident report obtained by FITSNews.
Robert Marzol, the assistant police chief for the Gaston Police Department (GPD), was arrested Thursday by deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) after a domestic disturbance call at Liberty on the Lake in Irmo, S.C.
According to the incident report (.pdf), the 55-year-old escorted his granddaughter into the parking lot, where a witness told deputies he “slammed” his granddaughter into his vehicle and “violently” shook her by both her arms while “verbally abusing her.”
The report further states the witness observed Marzol strike his granddaughter in the back of the neck, in what RCSD submitted as an “open hand smack.”
As for the granddaughter at the center of the case, she reportedly told RCSD her arm “hurts a little bit” and repeatedly identified Marzol as the man who “did that.”
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“I observed minor contusions and red marks on [redacted]’s arm and on the back of her neck that corroborated the witness’s story,” the deputy noted in his written narrative.
The same narrative states Marzol’s granddaughter was also evaluated by EMS, whose observations similarly corroborated the witness’s account.
Marzol’s version of events, however, stood in stark contrast to the injuries observed by the deputy and EMS, telling RCSD he had simply “escorted” his granddaughter outside and “sat her on the rear bumper to verbally discipline her.”
As for what prompted the “discipline,” Marzol purportedly told RCSD his granddaughter “began screaming” and “continued screaming” while inside Liberty on the Lake.
His explanation evidently did little to change the outcome, as both the incident report and jail records confirm Marzol was charged with third-degree assault and battery and unlawful conduct toward a child.
He subsequently spent the night at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where magistrate Christina Thompson later granted him a $10,000 personal recognizance bond on the child endangerment charge and a $1,087.50 bond on the assault charge
As a condition of his release, court records show Marzol is to have no contact with “the victim” or “the victim’s family.”
According to sources, Marzol has worked in Palmetto State law enforcement for decades and has been with GPD for approximately five years.
That employment, however, is now in jeopardy, as Gaston Police Chief Stephen Watkins confirmed to FITSNews that Marzol was suspended following his arrest.
This story may be updated.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy Award–winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. He joined FITSNews in 2023 after leaving an NBC affiliate, where he served as on-air talent. His reporting focuses on public corruption in South Carolina, with an emphasis on law enforcement misconduct and abuse of power.
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