A special operations Marine accused of punching his girlfriend will face up to 60 days in jail after being convicted in a North Carolina court of assault inflicting serious injury, a misdemeanor offense, Task & Purpose has learned.
Staff Sgt. Daniel Christopher Evans was also found not guilty of assault on a female, which is also a misdemeanor, said Samantha Dooies, an assistant to the New Hanover County District Attorney.
Evans is expected to be sentenced on Monday by District Court Judge Chad Hogston, Dooies told Task & Purpose. Separately, Evans is slated to appear in civil court regarding a domestic violence order of protection filed by his former girlfriend.
Hogston decided to wait for the civil matter to be resolved before deciding Evans’ sentence, Dooies said.
The judge will take into account that Evans has no criminal record when determining Evans’ punishment, which could range from probation to time in jail.
Police in Wilmington, North Carolina, arrested Evans on July 29, 2018 after responding to a domestic assault. Kimberly Rhine, his girlfriend at the time, told police that he had punched her “multiple times.”
Evans was released from jail the following day.
Rhine told Task & Purpose that she was shocked Evans was not convicted of assault on a female, which she described as a minimal charge that should not have been difficult to prove.
In January, she posted a picture on Facebook of her bloodied face with a gash above her left eye, which she said Evans caused by hitting her.
“It’s become a felony now to abuse an animal but if it’s a loved one it’s totally OK, which I just can’t really wrap my head around it,” Rhine said.
Evans’ attorney William Peregoy declined to comment until after Monday’s sentencing.
Evans is still assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, said MARSOC spokeswoman Maj. Kristin Tortorici.
“In an effort to not interfere with the civilian justice system, Marine Forces Special Operations Command is awaiting the completion of the civilian legal proceedings in this case before determining any disciplinary or administrative actions regarding Staff Sgt. Evans,” Tortorici said.