By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FAIRFIELD - A West Chester police officer arrested last month and accused of striking a child is scheduled to appear in Fairfield Municipal Court today.

Fairfield police arrested West Chester police Officer Joseph A. Palacio, 29, Jan. 15 and charged him with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

He is accused of striking his 6-year-old boy so hard it caused hemorrhaging in his eyeball and left other marks, Fairfield Police Chief Michael Dickey wrote in a Jan. 15 e-mail to City Manager Art Pizzano.

The boy, described in an arrest report as a family or household member of Palacio, also had bruising on other parts of his body, police said. A doctor described the injury as serious, Dickey's e-mail reads. West Chester Police Chief John Bruce said Tuesday that the alleged incident, reported to Fairfield police by Palacio's ex-wife, occurred while Palacio was off duty.

Pending the outcome of the case, West Chester police officials placed Palacio on restricted, administrative duties Jan. 16, Bruce said.

Last summer, he was suspended for two days after he allegedly conducted a license plate check using a law enforcement computer system for nonwork-related business, Bruce said.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com.