AUBURN, Ala. — The police officer who arrested Sen. Tom Whatley (R-Auburn) for domestic violence last week says he saw the senator shove his fiancé to the ground, prompting him to make the arrest, according to a police report first reported by the Associated Press.

Whatley was charged with third degree domestic violence, which is a Class A misdemeanor.

But the officer’s version of events contradicts statements made by Whatley and his fiancé, Lindsay Waits, last week.

“(T)he police were in my neighborhood, apparently because of a report of a homeless person sleeping in the area,” Whatley said in a statement released through his attorney the day after the arrest. “Lindsay and I were out on my back porch and were involved in a discussion, but we were not violent to one another.”

Waits corroborated Whatley’s statement, saying that she considered the matter to have been a misunderstanding.

“I would like to state, very adamantly, that I did not call Auburn City Police with a report of domestic violence on Tom,” she said. “Tuesday night we were involved in a discussion outside Tom’s house. Apparently, the police were nearby on another matter and heard us and came, even though neither one of us nor any neighbors had requested assistance.

“There was absolutely no violence involved by either party. I cannot state enough what a warm, loving relationship Tom and I enjoy. Neither would ever hurt the other and I consider this matter to have been a misunderstanding.”

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— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014