Man charged with assault of infant son

PALMER -- A Wasilla man has been charged with two counts of first-degree assault for allegedly causing brain injuries to his 4-month-old son.

Alaska State Troopers arrested Steven E. Garrison, 26, on Wednesday, four days after he brought his child to Providence Matanuska Health Care for treatment. Dr. Karen Impson said the boy came into her office with life-threatening injuries, according to an affidavit filed in the Palmer courthouse by Alaska State Trooper investigator Margie Escobar.

The affidavit said both of the child's pupils were fixed and dilated, he had no muscle tone, his skull was bulging and he had extreme difficulty breathing.

Garrison originally told Escobar the boy fell 16 inches off a couch and hit his head on the carpeted floor. But after the infant was taken by LifeGuard helicopter for further treatment at Providence Alaska Medical Center, the director of pediatric intensive care said the injury couldn't have been caused by Garrison's scenario.

Dr. B.J. Coopes said the injury is "consistent with shaken baby syndrome," the charging document said.

Coopes said the boy showed evidence of an earlier injury also likely to be shaken baby syndrome, Escobar said.

When Escobar interviewed Garrison again on Sept. 23, he reportedly admitted making up the story.

"Garrison reported becoming frustrated with [the boy], who was crying," Escobar wrote. "Garrison stated that he might have been a little too mean to [the boy]. Garrison reports he threw [the boy] on the couch towards the pillows but that [the boy] struck his head on the arm rest of the couch."

Escobar said that Garrison added he went through "the same scenario" a month ago. In that case, Garrison said he put the child into the car seat too hard and caused him to strike his head on the back of the seat, according to the report.

Garrison admitted having thrown the child onto the couch a few other times in the last month out of anger over the infant crying, the report said.

Escobar said Garrison told her he has slapped the boy across the face with an open hand several times in the last month. He also said he grabbed his son's cheeks and squeezed them together, telling him to "shut up," according to Escobar.

Garrison said he has had anger management problem most of his life, according to the affidavit. The document stated that troopers have a Department of Family and Youth Services "report of harm" from March 2001 indicating Garrison told another person he left his previous girlfriend because he was afraid he might hurt their infant daughter.

"Garrison reported having a bad thought once when he was taking care of his infant daughter," Escobar wrote in the affidavit. "Garrison reports that she was bawling and would not stop crying and he thought about throwing her out the third story window of his apartment."

Garrison was lodged at Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility on $50,000 bail. First-degree assault is a class A felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail and $250,000 fine.