An Elizabethton man faces a felony charge after police say he injured his infant child resulting in the child needing medical care.

Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department arrested William Cooper, 23, of 1263 Bluefield Ave., on Tuesday and charged him with aggravated child abuse.

According to court documents, EPD Sgt. Shane Darling said he was contacted on Tuesday by an investigator from Child Protective Services regarding a possible case of child abuse and went to the CPS office to speak with the investigator and the child’s parents.

“The referral had been initiated because their 7-month-old baby had a fractured collar bone, which medical staff believed to be caused by the child being jerked by the arm,” Darling said in the affidavit of complaint against Cooper.

Darling then asked both parents to come with him to the Elizabethton Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division office for a further interview, and they agreed.

“At CID, I conducted an interview of both subjects. During William’s interview he confessed that he had jerked the child out of its walker,” Darling said. “He stated he knew he had pulled the child too hard, and that he was frustrated when he did it.”

Officers arrested Cooper and transported him to the Carter County Detention Center.

Cooper appeared in Carter County General Sessions Court on Wednesday morning for arraignment on the charge against him. Judge Keith Bowers Jr. appointed the Public Defender’s Office to represent Cooper and scheduled him to return to court on May 5.

Bowers set Cooper’s bond at $25,000 and ordered that he have no contact with the victim.