Officer charged with assault on daughter

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Police in Springfield say an officer who was arrested on a domestic assault and battery charge was trying to prevent his teenage daughter from joining a gang.

Officer Jose Diaz entered a not guilty plea Monday at his arraignment in Springfield District Court and was released on his own recognizance.

Sgt. John Delaney, a police spokesman, said Diaz was arrested at his home Friday after an altercation with his 19-year-old daughter.

Delaney told The Republican newspaper that Diaz was upset that his daughter might join a gang, but did not intend to hurt her. The young woman had some redness on her neck and what appeared to be a small bruise.

Diaz has been placed on inside duty pending an internal investigation by police.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)