Local

Orlando officer arrested again on domestic violence charges

APOPKA, Fla. — An Orlando police officer was arrested for the second time this year on charges of domestic violence.

Apopka police said they arrested Danny Sidders on a battery charge Tuesday morning after he broke into his girlfriend's home, beat her up and spit on her. Police said Sidders then got into an altercation with another person inside the home.

Sidders was first arrested on battery charges back in January. Police said he beat up the same woman.

Court records show he was married twice before and both wives accused him of domestic violence. The most recent wife even got an injunction after she said Sidders threatened to bury her.

This is the seventh time Sidders has been investigated.

Internal affairs documents show he was also investigated on accusations of sneaking into his ex-wife's home and punching her boyfriend. Orlando police suspended Sidders for a day because of that, and after his arrest in January, took him off the job again for a week.

He also made news in 2009 after he said he was forced to shoot his police dog named Viper.

Reports said Viper was injured when a police cruiser ran over him after a pursuit and then the dog attacked Sidders, who said he had to shoot the dog.

WFTV learned that Sidders had been assigned to an Orlando International Airport substation.