Charles Ramsey spent time in prison for domestic abuse

GlobalPost

Somehow we know it was going to happen but just didn't know what or when.

He just looked far too nervous when sirens blared during his now famous interview with an ABC affiliate.

Hero and good citizen Charles Ramsey's past is catching up to him as the media puts a microscope to his life.

The Smoking Gun revealed Wednesday evening that the Cleveland hero who saved Amanda Berry and the other girls from their kidnappers had been imprisoned for domestic abuse.

Ramsey helped break open the door to save Amanda Berry and then called police to come to the house where the other women were being held.

According to the website, his first conviction was in 1997 for beating his wife Rochelle.

While awaiting sentencing, he was arrested again for domestic abuse, as well as violating bail.

He was sentenced to six months in jail for both convictions.

In 2003, he was arrested again for abuse and spent another eight months in prison. His wife and child were put under protective custody during the disputes.

The couple divorced after the last prison term.

Ramsey had also spent two one-year prison terms for drugs, according to the Smoking Gun.

The dishwasher has been estranged from his 15-year-old daughter over the incidents.

Despite his rap sheet, some say he's still a hero for his actions.

Slate noted:

Many observers have already noted that it was remarkable for Ramsey to intervene even though he said he thought it was a domestic violence dispute, when so many people look away and do nothing. Maybe his own experience played a role in his response; maybe there was some hope for redemption. But at any rate, the fact that a convicted abuser intervened to stop abuse is a good thing, not a scandal.

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