Raleigh police officer charged with assaulting woman

Officer James William Fowler Jr., 24, of Clayton, was charged Monday with misdemeanor assault on a female, but that charge was later dismissed and an upgraded felony charge of assault inflicting serious bodily injury was lodged against him.

According to arrest warrants, Fowler is accused of pinning a woman against a wall and then throwing her to the ground and kneeling on her chest, breaking one of her ribs.

Fowler, who has worked for the Raleigh Police Department since April 2019, has been placed on administrative leave, a department spokeswoman said.

He was released on a $10,000 bond and ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the woman.