Andrews – A former Andrews police officer was arrested and charged with violating a domestic violence protective order.
Courtney Paige Wooten, 27, of 2505 Little Choga Road in Topton, was arrested Aug. 17 by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Wooten has nine charges – seven violations on Aug. 12 and one each on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, a day before her arrest.
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Originally held without bail pending her first court appearance, Wooten appeared in court Thursday, when a judge consolidated her bond to $1,000 secured, sheriff’s Capt. David Williams said. Wooten was freed after posting bond that day.
Wooten was ordered to stay away from a 16-year-old Andrews High School student when she served as an officer with the Andrews Police Department. She was served with a domestic violence protective order after allegedly stalking a 16-year-old girl and “continued harassment and threats of self harm and harm to others.”
A hearing was held on May 30 before a magistrate at the Cherokee County Courthouse in Murphy. The order was effective June 1.
The magistrate concluded that Wooten committed acts of domestic violence, that there appears to be a danger of acts of domestic violence, and that the child is exposed to substantial risk of physical and emotional injury as well as sexual assault.
She was ordered to stay away from the plaintiff “any place the plaintiff may be,” as well as not assault, threaten, abuse, follow, harass or interfere with the plaintiff or threaten her family. Wooten was required to surrender all firearms, ammunition and gun permits in her possession, but may continue to possess or use a firearm for official use.
Wooten resigned from the Andrews Police Department in mid-May, about two weeks before the hearing.