Barrington Hills cop pleads not guilty to domestic battery

A Barrington Hills police officer charged with domestic battery last week pleaded not guilty Tuesday and asked for a jury trial, court records show.

Gary A. Deutschle, 40, of Algonquin, faces one count of domestic battery with physical contact and one count of domestic battery of a provoking nature. Both are Class A misdemeanors punishable by a maximum of a year in jail if he is convicted.

A conviction for domestic battery also would result in Deutschle losing his right to possess a firearm, effectively ending his career as a police officer.

George Kililis, Deutschle's attorney, declined to comment Wednesday.

Deutschle, who is free on bond, is scheduled to be back in court for a pretrial status check. A trial date has been set for Dec. 15.

Deutschle was placed on administrative leave while the Barrington Hills Police Department conducts its own investigation into his Sept. 25 arrest, a department official said.

According to Lake in the Hills police, Deutschle was arrested after officers were called to a residence in the village about 4 p.m. Sept. 25 and determined that a woman's wrist had been struck by a door, causing an injury.