DANVILLE, Ind. — Johnson County Sheriff’s Office arrested a recently-resigned Danville firefighter on June 20 for a domestic battery charge.
According to court documents, officers responded to a disturbance around 4:09 p.m. at a Danville residence. There, they found 39-year-old Joseph Gourley—an employee of the Danville Fire Department from July 2023 to his resignation on Saturday—sitting in the front yard, seemingly intoxicated.
Officers from the JCSO reported that they talked to Gourley’s soon-to-be-ex wife. She said Gourley rang the doorbell, attempting to make his way into the home. The wife attempted to keep the door closed, which prompted Gourley to kick the door several times, causing it to crack. Court docs allege that the wife’s struggle with keeping the door closed resulted in her receiving marks on her knees, wrist and arm. She did not show any signs of intoxication.
Even though the couple is not officially divorced yet, Gourley has been living separate from his wife for several months, police said. According to Gourley, his wife had assaulted him several times when he tried to enter the house. He alleges he “…pushed his way into the house without putting his hands on her” and told officers “…he still has a right to be there since they are still married”.
According to court docs, one of Gourley’s neighbors said to officers that he had come to the residence two days in a row. Reportedly, Gourley had swung his arms at his wife, grabbed one of her legs and her arms as if he were trying to pick her up and threatened to throw her off the porch.
JCSO said that Gourley’s wife has an emergency protective order against him, and was instructed he could not be at her residence.
Due to all of this information, an officer arrested Gourley on a domestic battery charge. He was transported to Johnson County Jail without incident, police wrote. JCSO is still investigating this case, but Gourley’s wife does not currently face any charges.
A mug shot for Gourley has not yet been provided.
