Judge calls facts in ex-officer’s domestic assault ‘disturbing,’ then finds him guilty
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Judge convicted ex-officer Craig Chandler of misdemeanor domestic violence.
- Victim’s testimony and police evidence indicated a pattern of past abuse.
- Chandler received probation, fines, and anger management evaluation order.
A Justice Court judge on Thursday found former Moss Point Police K-9 Officer Craig Chandler guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence, saying the victim’s testimony suggested a pattern of abuse.
“There were several things that were disturbing to me about this whole incident,” Justice Court Judge Jason Thornton said. “I heard her say, ‘I’ve always been able to calm him down before,’ which would indicate to me that there have been problems of this nature before — not just this one incident,” the judge said.
What Thornton said he found even “more disturbing” was the evidence of Chandler “grabbing the (dog) cage and going on and on, and then going to the closet to get the gun in the middle of all of that.”
The judge sentenced the former officer to a 30-day suspended jail sentence, placed him on six months of probation, and ordered him to have an anger management evaluation, assessment, and treatment as needed. The judge fined him $300 and ordered him to pay court costs.
Chandler had been a K-9 officer at the Moss Point Police Department, but city officials fired him after they found out about his arrest, that had otherwise gone unreported.
Afterward, the city suspended Police Chief Brandon Ashley for five days without pay for failing to inform city officials of the incident.
Estranged wife testifies about fear, violence
During the trial in Jackson County Justice Court, Chandler’s estranged wife, Amber Chandler, testified about the events surrounding the Dec. 23, 2024, assault.
In a low, soft-spoken voice, she said Chandler erupted in anger after trying to take a treat from their dog — and the dog biting him. After that, she said, he began screaming, punching holes in the wall, and kicking and threatened to shoot and kill the dog.
She said she was grabbing the dog’s kennel when Chandler started picking it up and slamming it down to the ground, resulting in scratches on her arms and other bruising when the cage crashed down on her feet at one point.
Chandler’s young daughter was at the home at the time, and Amber Chandler said she feared for all of their safety.
She said she walked sideways down a hall leading to the door to get out, with her estranged husband following behind her with the gun in his hand.
She said she was afraid he was going to shoot her.
She said she found safety when she ran down the street to a friend’s house and later reported the assault to authorities.
Two law enforcement officers also testified during the trial about how Amber Chandler said her estranged husband assaulted her.
Chandler’s defense attorney, Tyler Cox, tried to poke holes in the testimony, noting how the estranged wife had filled out several different affidavits and only recently claimed that his client intentionally struck her and caused injuries.
“The only information your honor is able to go off of is the testimony from an unreliable and incredible witness,” Cox said. “She is incredible because she has made multiple affidavits — sworn statements — that contradict each other.
“She can’t get her own story right.”
Craig Chandler did not testify in his own defense.
County Prosecutor Lee Farragut said the state had proved its case against Chandler.
“We put on the investigators,” he said. “She told the facts that support the charge of domestic violence. There were acts. There were words. There were injuries.
“She was placed in imminent fear of serious bodily injury by his actions,” he said.
Former officer fires back
After the judge handed down the verdict, Chandler’s attorney said he planned to appeal the conviction.
Before Chandler jumped in his truck to leave the Justice Court parking lot, he told The Sun Herald, “She basically lied and got away with it.”
Chandler’s case has been in and out of court.
When he was first charged with the same offense, he pleaded no contest, was adjudicated guilty, and later appealed the conviction to County Court.
County Court Judge Mark Watts then dismissed the conviction and expunged it from his record based on an agreement between attorneys. Amber Chandler was not advised of the deal.
City officials fired Chandler on Aug. 11 after they found out about the case and video footage of a domestic assault involving Chandler surfaced.
After word spread about how Chandler’s initial conviction had been erased from his record, the judge issued a new ruling allowing Chandler’s estranged wife to file new charges of domestic violence against him based on the same allegations.
Amber Chandler has since shared her sentiment on the conviction.
“Domestic violence is not just a private issue — it is a community issue,” she said. “It affects families, children and the future of our society. Today in court, I believe justice was served.
“Speaking out is not easy, but silence only protects the abuser. Many suffer in secret, believing they are alone but I want other victims to know they are not alone. There are people and resources ready to help.”
She also offered thanks to family, investigators handling the case and a domestic violence advocate who added support to her from the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence.
But most importantly, she said she was thankful to the judge for “listening intently and making sure justice was served.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 4:13 PM.
