By Jim Smith

Butler Eagle Staff Writer

BUTLER TWP — A 33-year-old father is accused of assaulting his two young sons, knocking one off a step stool and hitting the other one with the stool during a domestic dispute at the family’s home.

Township police on Friday arrested James A. Graham III on misdemeanor charges of child endangerment, simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. He was released on non-monetary bail and ordered to have no contact with his children.

The Butler County Children and Youth Services agency on March 1 contacted police to report the case of suspected domestic child abuse, according to court documents.

Graham’s wife told authorities on Feb. 28 he kicked the stool out from under the couple’s 2-year-old son at their apartment in the 300 block of Hansen Avenue.

Her husband, she recounted, “kicked” the boy across the boy across the room and threw the stool. The stool hit the wall before striking the couple’s 11-year-old son in the left leg, documents said.

The older boy, who suffered a bruise to his left leg, said his father also punched him in the head.

Police detectives on Thursday spoke to Graham at his home. He admitted he was angry with his wife when he saw the younger boy standing on the stool in front of the kitchen sink.

In his account, the defendant slapped his son on the back side, which knocked the boy’s knees into the cabinets, documents said. The child ended up on the floor.

Graham said he then “booted” the 2-year-old, which caused the boy to slide across the freshly-mopped floor.

He acknowledged he was mad when he picked up the stool and tossed it. The stool, he recalled, struck the wall and bounced back, hitting his older son.

The defendant also admitted hitting the older boy in the head “for not listening” to him, according to a police affidavit.

Graham’s preliminary hearing is set for March 17.