Off-duty Seattle cop arrested for alleged domestic violence assault
SEATTLE -- An off-duty Seattle police officer was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly assaulting his estranged wife.
According to the police report, a woman called 911 from a home in the 10000 block of 18th Place SE in Lake Stevens around 10:18 p.m. The woman said her husband, who had been drinking, "shoved her down and kicked her," the report said.
About 10 minutes later, a man called 911 from the same home and said no assault had taken place. He added his wife had been drinking.
When deputies arrived, both the woman and her husband appeared calm. The 41-year-old officer said he had taken a dose of the sleep aid Ambien a short time ago, and was preparing for bed. He denied that any assault had taken place.
However, his wife said the couple had had an argument that had escalated. The woman, who is scheduled to move out of the home on Saturday, told investigators her husband “became very angry and grabbed her shoulders with each hand and violently pushed her back so hard she fell backwards on the floor.” The woman said she “feared that it may escalate to worse,” the report said.
But the officer told deputies he had not pushed his wife; he said she had either slipped or fallen because she was intoxicated. He said the incident was "seemed so ridiculous" that he burst out in laughter, angering his wife who then called 911.
The officer was booked into Snohomish County Jail for investigation of fourth-degree assault, domestic violence.
Seattle Police Department's Office of Professional Accountability has launched a review.
The unidentified officer, who was assigned to the Special Operations Bureau, has since been reassigned to his home pending the outcome of the investigation.
According to the police report, a woman called 911 from a home in the 10000 block of 18th Place SE in Lake Stevens around 10:18 p.m. The woman said her husband, who had been drinking, "shoved her down and kicked her," the report said.
About 10 minutes later, a man called 911 from the same home and said no assault had taken place. He added his wife had been drinking.
When deputies arrived, both the woman and her husband appeared calm. The 41-year-old officer said he had taken a dose of the sleep aid Ambien a short time ago, and was preparing for bed. He denied that any assault had taken place.
However, his wife said the couple had had an argument that had escalated. The woman, who is scheduled to move out of the home on Saturday, told investigators her husband “became very angry and grabbed her shoulders with each hand and violently pushed her back so hard she fell backwards on the floor.” The woman said she “feared that it may escalate to worse,” the report said.
But the officer told deputies he had not pushed his wife; he said she had either slipped or fallen because she was intoxicated. He said the incident was "seemed so ridiculous" that he burst out in laughter, angering his wife who then called 911.
The officer was booked into Snohomish County Jail for investigation of fourth-degree assault, domestic violence.
Seattle Police Department's Office of Professional Accountability has launched a review.
The unidentified officer, who was assigned to the Special Operations Bureau, has since been reassigned to his home pending the outcome of the investigation.
Reassigned to his home!
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SPD's flavor of leadership
If the pill popping officer is found guilty what a putz...... It fits the profile of some officers on the SPD to the letter.
Sounds like someone is bucking for a promotion within the SPD...
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Police-domestic-violence-nearly-twice-average-rate-2536928.php LEOs have a higher than average domestic violence rate.  I think it is important to know about LEOs doing this because people who commit domestic violence are more likely to excuse it as well. I grew up with my dad beating the heck out of us kids and our mom (who was a cop, ironically, but TN had no laws on the books protecting us at the time)  It amazes me how many people are trying to lay blame on the woman. We have no info about that situation.  I wonder how many people thought that about my family? We never laid a finger on my dad, my mom never touched him.
 @quidproquo None of that changes the fact this guy has been only arrested for it and our current state laws require somebody to be arrested if a call is made. Usually it is the guy if there is nothing clear. If this guy is an abuser, I hope they throw the book at him. If he merely was trying to get an angry drunk woman out of his way.... let him go. But I refuse to get on the bandwagon and attack him based on an a arrest and in my own experience I have seen both sides of this. A woman out of control and a man tries to get out of the way and next thing he knows HE's going to jail. And then there is the POS that controls through violence, or easily looses a temper and goes after the woman. None of that is clear from this article, only a bunch of he said she said after the fact from a couple people who were probably drinking.Â
 @Susabelle My problem is people are making assumptions that she was hitting him or that it is her fault with out knowing anything.  To be honest though, cops rarely actually get charged for actual DV so its really hard to know what is really going down.
 @quidproquo I will not assume it is her fault, neither will I assume it is his. I also have been in an abused situation many many years ago. Back then there was not a whole heck of a lot the police could do to help me, they actually told me once I should leave town. If there is abuse, I hope it is addressed and dealt with, if it is merely a stupid fight, I dont want our courts tied up in it.Â
Very Odd situation, Guys, if you ever have cops called for DV, You are going to jail no matter what. My Dad's girlfriend assaulted him and he was still the one in cuffs that night.
 @DarkParty California officers take both to jail upon being called out.... I think that's only fair until a judge can sort it out....
Ah, this all too common of a scenario in today's world. Â A woman can hit a man all that she wants and nothing ever happens. Â If a man so much as grabs as a woman in the wrong way during an altercation, guess who's going to jail? Â
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With today's mandatory arrest laws, the police will almost always arrest the man, no matter who's at fault, and he's going to jail. Â Not only that, but there's going to be a no-contact order and his wife now will have full control over this poor sap's house and possessions, and it's going to remain that way until the divorce is final. Â
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Not too bad of a position for a disgruntled former lover to be in after making a single phone call!
I don't know why but I get the feeling that the wife is angry that the marriage is over and she is moving out Saturday. I just feel like this was made up by the wife to try to hurt the husband somehow. I wonder if there was any marks on the women. Did the officers take him in because she felt that it may escalate to worse. Its really a hard one for me. I just can't say he is guilty. I know women can cry abuse and officers seem to always believe the women over the man, even if nothing happen.
 @Just my say There are mandatory arrest laws in this state.  After receiving a 911 call, the officers practically have no choice but to take him in.  The man is almost always the one that gets arrested in these types of disputes.
 @UtterReality  @Just my say I agree 100% on this one. Since no one was even arguing when they arrived.....my guess is they just arrested him. I am feeling kind of bad for him actually.
nice! a little Ambien after a night of drinkin' and fightin' with the wife.
Why does it matter that it is a cop?
 @ButtercupSprinkles Because only cop domestic violence cases makes it to the news. There's probably hundreds of domestic violence assaults everyday in WA. But the irony of a cop hitting his spouse is what makes for good news.
@ButtercupSprinkles because they should probably know better and are counted on to uphold the law as opposed to break it - especially in such a crude and loutish manner - allegedly.
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Know better? Do yo mean like a certain Seattle City Council member that wasn't prosecuted?   Funny, you never see headlines like "Burger King fries guy arrested for alleged domestic violence". You don't even see these for lawyers. Or some prominent citizens.Â
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The "they should probably know better" excuse, as exclusively applied to the Police, is lame. At this point in time, and with all of the very public education, EVERYONE should probably know better.
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Typical KOMO cop bashing. Next headline, "SPD Officer poops, and it smells bad!". KOMO is pathetic.
 @Susabelle I don't think you are taking in the whole of it..... Officers work in the same fashion.... Guilty till proven innocent.
come on. cops uphold the law. it goes to follow that they should not only enforce the law, but to also set an example and obey the law.
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burger king guy commints a crime - yep, still a crime. cop commits a crime - its a crime AND the added irony that the idiot is supposed to be the face of righteousness and enforcement.
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is that really so hard to understand? it IS different.
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 @ButtercupSprinkles I'm behind you on this one, I'm not wild about the guilty until proven innocent theme here......
since they both claimed drinking was involved why not do breatholizer on both ? that would answer part of the question.
Violent Seattle cops. What a surprise....NOT!
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Lay off the 'roids dude.