A U.S. Army Reserve colonel is accused of punching his 12-year-old son several times in the face in a restaurant parking lot, according to court documents.

Terry Dione Lindon, 51, of Fayetteville, was charged by Fayetteville police with misdemeanor child abuse in March. He is scheduled to appear in Cumberland County District Court next week.

Lindon did not return a request for comment.

Lindon is in the process of retiring from the Army, according to officials. He was most recently a civil affairs colonel assigned to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, according to Army Human Resources Command. The Special Warfare Center and School, the Army’s Special Operations Center of Excellence, trains, educates, develops and manages civil affairs, psychological operations and Special Forces soldiers and leaders.

A spokesman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command said the colonel signed out of the unit in April.

Witnesses told police that Lindon slammed his son’s face into the side of his pickup truck in the parking lot of Chick-fil-A on Skibo Road on March 24. Lindon punched his son in the face three times, according to witness statements to police.

Lindon told police his son had discipline problems and admitted to losing his temper, according to court documents.

Police noted the boy had bruising and red marks on the side of his face and on his left cheek, according to court documents.

Lindon received commission as an infantry officer through ROTC at Oklahoma State University in 1988, according to his biography.

In 2008, he deployed to Afghanistan with Combined Joint Task Force-101 as an interagency planner with the Integrated Civil Military Action Group at U.S. Embassy Kabul. He also served as chief of training for the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command and commander of 2nd Battalion, 1st Training Brigade.

Among his awards and decorations, Lindon has received the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and Joint Service Medal.

Staff writer Amanda Dolasinski can be reached at adolasinski@fayobserver.com or 486-3528.