Racine Man Accused of Kicking, Stomping on 8-Year-Old; Threatening Officers

CALEDONIA - A 57-year-old Racine man is being held in the Racine County Jail on a $20,000 cash bond after police say the man repeatedly punched and kicked an 8-year-old child and threatened police officers while drunk.

John Stempe has been charged with physical abuse of a child, two counts of disorderly conduct and threat to law enforcement officers and if convicted, could face up to 12-and-a-half years imprisonment if he is convicted.

According to his criminal complaint, police were called to the Country Inn Motel on Highway 32 on July 8 on a report of an assault.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with the 8-year-old boy's father who said that his son had been assaulted by the man in a neighboring room.

According to the complaint, the 8-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy were playing outside the man's motel room, when the man came out of his room, started yelling and accused them of smoking something.

The boys said the man charged them as they ran from him. The 8-year-old said he fell to the ground as he ran, at which point the man began to kick him up to 20 times on his arms, legs and torso in addition to punching him once in the chest, the complaint said.

Police made contact with Stempe at the hotel room and noticed the strong odor of intoxicants on his breath, police said. According to the complaint, he was placed under arrest and provided a breath sample that registered a BAC of 0.246.

According to the complaint, Stempe made numerous threats to police officers indicating he planned to "bash his skull in" and "shoot him."