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VIDALIA — Vidalia Police Department arrested a former Louisiana deputy on charges stemming from an alleged choking incident involving a juvenile last week.

Walter Mackel, 38, of Vidalia, has been charged with domestic abuse battery, strangulation and child endangerment after turning himself in to authorities on Wednesday.

He received a bond of $7,500, according to arrest records.

Vidalia Police Chief Joey Merril said a warrant for Mackel’s arrest had been issued last week when the department received a 911 call stating Mackel was choking a child.

Merrill said the child was OK. He said investigators saw evidence of assault on the juvenile and interviewed both family and non-family witnesses.

Mackel was formerly a law enforcement officer in Natchez and Concordia Parish, Louisiana. He was honored in this line of work after he was shot in the line of duty during an armed robbery investigation in 2019. He is also a veteran, having been deployed to Iraq three times where he worked as a medic for the U.S. Marines.

This is the second time in two years that Mackel has faced domestic charges.

His employment as a Concordia Parish deputy was terminated after he was arrested on domestic abuse charges in October 2021.

He later entered a no contest plea to disturbing the peace in February.

Judge John Reeves sentenced him to six months of probation where he would have to pay a monthly probation fee of $40 and complete counseling as well as pay a fine of $100 and court costs of $260.