Homestead Florida Police Officers Sgt. Lizanne Deegan, Giovanni Soto, And Sgt. Jeffrey Rome Arrested After String Of Beatings

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – Three Homestead police officers were arrested Monday night on charges stemming from a series of alleged attacks — two of which were caught on video — on men outside a bar last year.

The main target: Sgt. Jeffrey Rome, who, according to arrest warrants, beat or pepper-sprayed at least three men outside Celio’s Latin Quarter Bar. At least two of the incidents were caught on videotape by undercover detectives who had the bar under surveillance for an unrelated investigation into human trafficking.

The other officers are Sgt. Lizanne Deegan and Giovanni Soto, who are accused of misconduct involving a man who was beaten up outside the bar and later was hospitalized in February 2011.

Rome, 56, is charged with battery, false imprisonment and abuse of an elderly adult. Soto, 40, is charged with battery and official misconduct, while Deegan, 44, is charged with official misconduct.

The three were suspended with pay in April 2011. They were formally arrested on Monday. They later were released from a Miami-Dade County Jail after posting bail, hopped a wall to avoid members of the press and then climbed into a waiting black SUV, which sped away.

“After 15 months, I believe in my client’s innocence,” said C. Michael Cornely, who is representing Rome. “I believe at the end of the day, he will be vindicated.”

According to the arrest warrants, Rome worked off-duty outside the bar, 38 NE Ninth St., frequented by a crowd of mostly Hispanic migrant workers who live and work in Homestead.

In April 2011, according to the court documents, detectives witnessed a man speaking with Rome before leaving. He walked back a short time later and Rome pepper sprayed him three times outside the bar, the warrant said.

Detective Antonio Aquino and Ricky Rivera later rushed to his aid, offering him medical help. He refused, the warrant said.

The man later told detectives and prosecutor Breezye Telfair that someone had tried to rob him as he walked away and that he went running back to Rome to seek his help. He identified Rome in a photo lineup.

On another occasion in April 2011, Aquino and Rivera saw Rome drag an elderly man away from the bar, kicking him in the head — an altercation also captured on video. Rome was seen pouring water on the man, who had been lying down for seven minutes, the warrant said. The man later told detectives that two men had tried to rob him of his bicycle and that he had sought out Rome for help.

Rome also is accused of pepper spraying another man, the warrant shows. As for Deegan and Soto, they were charged in connection to an alleged beating outside Celio’s Latin Quarter Bar.

The man claimed Soto beat him up, and then dropped him off at his home “like he was a dog and was refused medical treatment.”

According to an arrest warrant, Soto called 911 and an ambulance took the victim to Homestead Hospital.

Deegan followed him to the hospital, took photos and gave him her card with a case number on it. But prosecutors say she covered up the case by failing to write a report on the incident.

Richard Sharpstein, her lawyer, said Deegan, charged with official misconduct, believed that the drunken man had been in a bar fight and that she had no legal obligation to author a report.

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Kissimmee Florida Police Officer Eric Longsworth Arrested, Suspended, And Charged With Kidnapping, False Imprisonment, And Battery After Domestic Violence Incident Involving His Girlfriend

KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA – A Kissimmee police officer is on unpaid leave following his arrest on domestic-violence charges, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Officer Eric Longsworth was arrested June 14 on charges of kidnapping-false imprisonment and battery, documents show.

Longsworth, 24, is on unpaid leave, said Stacie Miller, a spokeswoman for the Police Department. Kissimmee officers arrested him, she said.

The department will conduct an internal investigation after the criminal case if closed, Miller said. Details of the criminal case, said to involve Longsworth’s girlfriend and the 6-foot-1-inch, 220-pound officer, could not be obtained on the July 4 holiday.

Longsworth, a 2006 graduate of Osceola’s Gateway High School, was sworn in as a new officer in April 2011.

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Edinburgh Indiana Police Officer Christopher McAllister Still On Duty After He And His Wife’s Arrest For Assaulting Police Officers At Indianapolis Motor Speedway

EDINBURGH, INDIANA – The Edinburgh Police Officer accused of attacking several officers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the day before the Indianapolis 500 is still on the job. We spoke to Edinburgh Police Chief Patrick Pankey Monday afternoon to learn the status of officer Christopher McAllister, who along with his wife Shawntel McAllister, was arrested on May 26th in the 2100 block of Georgetown Road in Indianapolis.

According to reports, officers were called to the location over a loud disturbance between the two. When the officer approached, McAllister allegedly slammed his beer bottle into the ground, yelled at and then grabbed the officer. Additional officers were called to the scene, but McAllister allegedly continued to resist, chest bumping one officer and striking him with an elbow. Reports indicated that Shawntel McAllister jumped on the back of an officer and tried to free her husband.

Christopher McAllister is facing charges of “Battery”, “Resisting Law Enforcement” and “Public Intoxication.” Shawntel McAllister is facing charges of “Resisting Law Enforcement” and “Public Intoxication.”

Chief Pankey says he will make a decision on how to proceed with McAllister and any potential punishment after he appears in court. No court date has been set at this time.

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Douchebag Milwaukee Wisconsin Police Officer Richard Schoen Fired After Attack On Woman Motorist – Punched Handcuffed Woman In Patrol Car, Pulled Her Out By Her Hair, And Ended With Knee To Her Abdomen

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – A Milwaukee police officer has been fired for using excessive force on a woman arrested during a traffic stop, the department announced on a website Monday evening.

Richard Schoen, 42, punched the woman in her face while she was handcuffed in his squad car before pulling her out by the hair and striking her with his knee, according to a posting on a department website, The Source.

Police Chief Edward Flynn fired Schoen on May 1, according to the website. Schoen had been with the department nine years.

Schoen pulled the woman over about 9 p.m. on Sept. 22 in the 4100 block of N. 51st Blvd. The reason she was pulled over was not disclosed. The woman was arrested after becoming argumentative and using profanity and was taken to the District 7 police station, the website states.

After arriving at the station’s garage the woman began to stomp on the floor of the squad, complaining that her left leg hurt. Schoen opened the rear passenger door and tried to pull her out by the bottom of her shirt.

He then entered the rear passenger compartment and struck the woman in the face before pulling her out of the car by her hair. When the woman was on the floor of the garage, Schoen struck her in the abdomen with his knee, according to the website posting.

The posting also did not identify the woman nor state whether she was charged with any offense as a result of her arrest.

It cited the department’s code of conduct, which states, “We use the minimum force and authority necessary to accomplish a proper police purpose. We demonstrate self-discipline, even when no one is listening or watching.”

The department posted the announcement at 6:13 p.m.

Although the posting did not state whether Schoen would be charged criminally, the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office did not file charges, according to Anne Schwartz, spokeswoman for the Police Department.

Contacted by email Monday night, Schwartz said she was not at her office and could not provide more information.

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Baltimore Maryland Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld II Says Attack On White Tourist By Pack Of Savage Black Beasts Wasn’t A Hate Crime

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – Baltimore’s police chief today said that the videotaped beating of a white tourist does not appear to be a hate crime, but rather “drunken opportunistic criminality” on the part of a gang of Charm City assailants.

In a radio interview, Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III urged Baltimore residents to “distinguish between criminality and racially motivated crime.” Bealefeld, who is white, warned against “race-baiting” and “fear-mongering” in light of the Trayvon Martin shooting and other recent racially charged incidents.

“There’s no doubt it’s a crime,” Bealefeld said of the March 17 assault. “We need to vigorously hold criminals accountable, and we have to be careful not to be pulled into this race-baiting.”

As Baltimore cops investigate the videotaped beating of a tourist on St. Patrick’s Day, a second clip showing the brutal attack could help police identify members of the mob who knocked the victim to the ground, stole his belongings, and even tore his pants off.

The video, seen above, was shot by an onlooker outside a downtown courthouse, where the tourist was sucker-punched by an attacker. The victim, wearing a Mountain Dew shirt, crumpled to the sidewalk and hit his head.

While on the ground, the man was set upon by about ten attackers, who stole his Tag Heuer watch, money, iPhone, and keys to his Audi, according to police. The dazed and defenseless victim is also punched, kicked, and even hit with a shoe by several assailants. In a final indignity, the man is “teabagged” by a male attacker.

The 1:26 cell phone video–shot by a cameraman who cackled as the beating transpired–was first uploaded to the WorldStar Hip Hop web site on March 30. It was included as part of a 14:22 “fight compilation” of 12 clips showing assorted mayhem.

In a TV news report Friday (which included another view of the Baltimore attack), a detective pledged to hunt down the man’s attackers. “We want to bring these people to justice,” said Det. Nicole Monroe.

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Veteran New York City Subway Attendant Attacked Customer – Who She Violently Beat Over 10 Cents

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - A New York City woman says she was attacked by a subway station attendant for taking too long to find cash.

She spoke exclusively to CBS 2’s Pablo Guzman on Thursday.

Janet Ojeda admitted she exchanged words with the woman in the token booth, but when the clerk allegedly came out and picked her up by the neck, choking her, well, even a few hours later, Ojeda got emotional talking about it.

“Cause she was choking me, like … I couldn’t get no air. She was looking at me like she wasn’t gonna let go. I felt like I was [going to pass out] ’cause I couldn’t even move my legs. She lifted me up from the ground by the neck,” Ojeda said.

“It was scary.”

Ojeda showed Guzman the bruises she claims were the result of the alleged assault. Police and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the station agent inside the booth at the 138th Street station in the Bronx as Phylathia Monroe, 45. The MTA said she has nearly 20 years on the job.

The confrontation began at around 5:30 a.m. Ojeda was going to work and was, she said, 10 cents short on a MetroCard when Monroe called for the next customer through. Ojeda said she found the dime, but that’s when the argument began. She claimed Monroe got out of the booth, put her finger in her face and punched her.

“I told her to let me go, and I was like … you’re gonna get arrested right now,” Ojeda said.

Ojeda said she eventually got free and then went from the station to a local NYPD precinct and filed a report.

Four officers went into the station and arrested Monroe on a misdemeanor assault charge. Ojeda hired attorney Justin Blitz.

The MTA suspended Monroe pending an investigation. If convicted on the assault charge, Monroe could face a year behind bars.

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Disgraced And Suspended Mount Sterling Ohio Police Chief Mike McCoy To Quit After Officer Scott O’Neil Used Taser Weapon Twice On 9 Year Old Boy Who Wouldn’t Put On His Shoes – Police Force Shut Down By Village Council Taser Attack

MOUNT STERLING, OHIO – Embattled police Chief Mike McCoy announced last night that he will soon resign from his village post, though he insisted it has nothing to do with the fact that one of his officers shocked a 9-year-old boy twice with a Taser last week.

McCoy, who was placed on paid leave late last week after he did not tell Mount Sterling Mayor Charlie Neff of the incident, said he wasn’t pressured to resign.

Instead, after an hour-long, closed-door meeting between his personal attorney and village officials, McCoy read a statement that said the village’s declining budget keeps him from doing his job.

He said he did nothing wrong by not immediately telling Neff what had happened because, as chief, he felt he needed to check into the incident himself first.

“I did what I was supposed to do to maintain the integrity of the incident,” McCoy said.

Neff said McCoy wasn’t asked to quit, but he added that the past few days “have been tough.” He said that lawyers are drafting a separation agreement and the council is expected to accept McCoy’s formal resignation at its meeting in two weeks. McCoy will not be reporting back to his $49,900-a-year job, though.

In the meantime, the entire part-time police force remains disbanded and the Madison County sheriff’s office will patrol the village. There was no discussion of hiring a new chief or bringing back officers, and last week’s incident is being reviewed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Among the 70 or so people at the meeting was Michelle Perry, whose son Jared was shocked by Mount Sterling police Officer Scott O’Neil last Tuesday morning.

Mrs. Perry didn’t comment, but her attorney, Tracy Comisford, said after the meeting that when O’Neil came to arrest her son for truancy, Mrs. Perry never expected that he would be subdued with a Taser. “She certainly never wanted this to happen,” Comisford said.

Village officials released the police report yesterday. According to O’Neil’s written account:

He went to the boy’s S. Market Street home about 8:30 a.m. to serve a complaint filed against Jared for truancy.

Jared — listed on the report as between 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-8 inches tall and between 200 and 250 pounds — refused to cooperate. He begged his mother to let him go to school rather than with the officer, but Perry told her son it was too late.

O’Neil wrote that after repeated warnings, he pulled Jared from the couch, but he “dropped to the floor and became dead weight … flailing around,” and the boy lay on his hands to prevent being handcuffed.

O’Neil demonstrated the electrical current from the Taser into the air “as a show of force.” Then, he wrote, Perry told her son to do as O’Neil said or he would be shocked.

The report indicates that after being shocked once, Jared still didn’t cooperate and was shocked a second time. An ambulance was called, but Jared had no sign of injury; Perry signed a waiver for medical treatment. Jared was taken to the sheriff’s office, and a delinquency count of resisting arrest was added to his truancy charge.

As people left the meeting last night, many offered McCoy support and said they stand behind the police department. Resident Heather Rice said all the facts about what happened last week aren’t yet known, and McCoy has simply become a scapegoat.

“This isn’t about a Taser,” she said. “This is about forcing this village to lose its police force.”

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Disgraced And Suspended Mount Sterling Ohio Police Chief Mike McCoy To Quit After Officer Scott O’Neil Used Taser Weapon Twice On 9 Year Old Boy Who Wouldn’t Put On His Shoes – Police Force Shut Down By Village Council Taser Attack

MOUNT STERLING, OHIO – Embattled police Chief Mike McCoy announced last night that he will soon resign from his village post, though he insisted it has nothing to do with the fact that one of his officers shocked a 9-year-old boy twice with a Taser last week.

McCoy, who was placed on paid leave late last week after he did not tell Mount Sterling Mayor Charlie Neff of the incident, said he wasn’t pressured to resign.

Instead, after an hour-long, closed-door meeting between his personal attorney and village officials, McCoy read a statement that said the village’s declining budget keeps him from doing his job.

He said he did nothing wrong by not immediately telling Neff what had happened because, as chief, he felt he needed to check into the incident himself first.

“I did what I was supposed to do to maintain the integrity of the incident,” McCoy said.

Neff said McCoy wasn’t asked to quit, but he added that the past few days “have been tough.” He said that lawyers are drafting a separation agreement and the council is expected to accept McCoy’s formal resignation at its meeting in two weeks. McCoy will not be reporting back to his $49,900-a-year job, though.

In the meantime, the entire part-time police force remains disbanded and the Madison County sheriff’s office will patrol the village. There was no discussion of hiring a new chief or bringing back officers, and last week’s incident is being reviewed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Among the 70 or so people at the meeting was Michelle Perry, whose son Jared was shocked by Mount Sterling police Officer Scott O’Neil last Tuesday morning.

Mrs. Perry didn’t comment, but her attorney, Tracy Comisford, said after the meeting that when O’Neil came to arrest her son for truancy, Mrs. Perry never expected that he would be subdued with a Taser. “She certainly never wanted this to happen,” Comisford said.

Village officials released the police report yesterday. According to O’Neil’s written account:

He went to the boy’s S. Market Street home about 8:30 a.m. to serve a complaint filed against Jared for truancy.

Jared — listed on the report as between 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-8 inches tall and between 200 and 250 pounds — refused to cooperate. He begged his mother to let him go to school rather than with the officer, but Perry told her son it was too late.

O’Neil wrote that after repeated warnings, he pulled Jared from the couch, but he “dropped to the floor and became dead weight … flailing around,” and the boy lay on his hands to prevent being handcuffed.

O’Neil demonstrated the electrical current from the Taser into the air “as a show of force.” Then, he wrote, Perry told her son to do as O’Neil said or he would be shocked.

The report indicates that after being shocked once, Jared still didn’t cooperate and was shocked a second time. An ambulance was called, but Jared had no sign of injury; Perry signed a waiver for medical treatment. Jared was taken to the sheriff’s office, and a delinquency count of resisting arrest was added to his truancy charge.

As people left the meeting last night, many offered McCoy support and said they stand behind the police department. Resident Heather Rice said all the facts about what happened last week aren’t yet known, and McCoy has simply become a scapegoat.

“This isn’t about a Taser,” she said. “This is about forcing this village to lose its police force.”

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Mount Sterling Ohio Police Chief Mike McCoy Suspended And Force Disbanded After Nutcase Officer Scott O’Neil Twice Used Taser Weapon On 9 Year Old Victim Who Wouldn’t Put On His Shoes

MOUNT STERLING, OHIO – Officials in the Madison County village of Mount Sterling expect a packed house tonight when the village council meets for the first time since suspending Police Chief Mike McCoy and essentially disbanding the police force on Friday.

Mayor Charlie Neff issued the suspensions after he was told that a village police officer had shocked a 9-year-old boy with a Taser earlier in the week during an arrest. Neff said McCoy should have immediately reported the incident to Neff and council members. He did not.

Officer Scott O’Neil, who used the Taser twice Tuesday morning on 9-year-old Jared Perry, did not respond to calls on Friday for comment. Village officials, however, released a copy of O’Neil’s report this morning.

The sheriff’s office had requested an officer check the boy’s S. Market Street address on because there was an outstanding unruly juvenile complaint filed against him because he was truant from school.

According to O’Neil’s written account: He arrived at the home just before 8:30 a.m. to take the boy into custody. Jared refused to cooperate and wouldn’t put on his shoes to go with the officer. He begged his mother, Michelle Perry, to let him go to school rather than with the officer, but Perry told her son it was too late.

O’Neil wrote that after repeated warnings, he pulled Jared from the couch but the boy “ dropped to the floor and became dead weight … flailing around.” The officer wrote that Jared — who is listed as between 5 foot 5 and 5 foot 8 inches tall and between 200 and 250 pounds — laid on his hands to prevent being handcuffed.

The report indicates that O’Neil warned that he would use the Taser, and demonstrated the electrical current into the air “as a show of force” to gain the boy’s cooperation. He wrote that Jared’s mother was telling her son to do as O’Neil said or else he would be shocked.

O’Neil wrote that after he shocked Jared the first time, he still refused to cooperate and so he was shocked a second time.

It took both O’Neil and the boy’s mother to get Jared to his feet, once handcuffed. He was breathing heavily but uninjured, and Perry signed a waiver of medical treatment. Jared was taken to the sheriff’s office and charged with delinquency counts of unruliness for his truancy and resisting arrest. O’Neil wrote that Jared’s mother thanked him for his help.

O’Neil said that he immediately notified Chief McCoy about what had happened. McCoy has not publicly commented since his suspension. Perry has not been able to be reached for comment.

The Madison County sheriff’s office is patrolling the village while it all is sorted out. Council President Lowell Anderson said council will have to decide tonight whether to permanently disband the force.

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Nutcase U.S Park Ranger In California Attacked Man Walking Dogs Without Leashes With Taser Weapon

CALIFORNIA – A Montara man walking two lapdogs off leash was hit with an electric-shock gun by a National Park Service ranger after allegedly giving a false name and trying to walk away, authorities said Monday.

The park ranger encountered Gary Hesterberg with his two small dogs Sunday afternoon at Rancho Corral de Tierra, which was recently incorporated into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said Howard Levitt, a spokesman for the park service.

Hesterberg, who said he didn’t have identification with him, allegedly gave the ranger a false name, Levitt said.

The ranger, who wasn’t identified, asked Hesterberg to remain at the scene, Levitt said. He tried several times to leave, and finally the ranger “pursued him a little bit and she did deploy her” electric-shock weapon, Levitt said. “That did stop him.”

San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies and paramedics then arrived and Hesterberg gave his real name, the park spokesman said.

Hesterberg, whose age was not available, was arrested on suspicion of failing to obey a lawful order, having dogs off-leash and knowingly providing false information, Levitt said.

He was then released. He did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Witnesses said the use of a stun gun and the arrest seemed excessive for someone walking two small dogs off leash.

“It was really scary,” said Michelle Babcock, who said she had seen the incident as she and her husband were walking their two border collies. “I just felt so bad for him.”

Babcock said Hesterberg had repeatedly asked the ranger why he was being detained. She didn’t answer him, Babcock said.

“He just tried to walk away. She never gave him a reason,” Babcock said.

The ranger shot Hesterberg in the back with her shock weapon as he walked off, Babcock said.

“We were like in disbelief,” she said. “It didn’t make any sense.”

Rancho Corral de Tierra has long been an off-leash walking spot for local dog owners. In December, the area became part of the national park system, which requires that all dogs be on a leash, Levitt said.

The ranger was trying to educate residents of the rule, Levitt said.

The park service is investigating the incident, he said.

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Crazed Norfolk Virginia School Security Guard Assaulted At Least 37 Children Using Pepper Spray

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA – A middle school security guard used pepper spray on children after a food fight broke out in the cafeteria.

Schools officials are investigating after the unnamed female guard used the powerful weapon to break up a fight during lunch at Lafayette-Winona Middle School in Norfolk, Virginia.

Parents were horrified by the heavy- handed approach, which caused some children who suffer from asthma to get sick.

Violent: A security guard at Lafayette-Winona Middle School in Norfolk, Virginia used pepper spray to regain control after a food fight broke out in the cafeteria

Violent: A security guard at Lafayette-Winona Middle School in Norfolk, Virginia used pepper spray to regain control after a food fight broke out in the cafeteria

37 students complained of physical symptoms following the pepper spray.

They were examined by the school nurse, and their parents were contacted. Five parents contacted the school after the incident.

‘It was just terrible in there,’ 12-year-old Derrell Hairston told Wavy.com

Derrell’s mother Tyheshia Hairston said: ‘He stayed up all night coughing and gagging.

‘I just feel like you can’t treat these kids like animals … they’re going to act like animals.’

Norfolk Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Bentley said. ‘I’d be upset absolutely I don’t blame the parents for being upset I understand that.’

He added: ‘We’re still investigating the facts, we don’t have all the facts yet okay and it would be inappropriate for me to speak about that until we completed the investigation.’

According to school policy, the security officer only use the pepper spray when less forceful methods don’t work. They must also warn pupils.

Derrell Hairston said: ‘She just started spraying pepper spray. She didn’t warn nobody or nothing.’

The principal Tracey Flemings yesterday sent a letter to parents, which read: ‘Yesterday during your child’s lunch period, one of our school security officers determined that it was necessary to use pepper spray to end a food fight.

‘Children who were in the vicinity of the incident, or any who complained of physical symptoms, were examined by the school nurse. We contacted their parents.

‘Please be assured that Norfolk Public Schools has specific policy and procedures regarding the use of pepper spray by our school security officers, and all officers are thoroughly trained.

‘I am working in partnership with the Norfolk Public Schools Department of Pupil Personnel Services to determine whether yesterday’s use of the pepper spray met our policy and procedures.

‘If we find that the protocols were not followed, appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that it does not happen again.’

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Orlando Florida Police Officer Dante Candelaria Arrested, Suspended, Charged With False Imprisonment And Battery

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – An Orlando Police officer has been arrested following an investigation into a complaint relating to possible criminal misconduct. Orlando Police Officer Dante Candelaria was taken into custody on Wednesday and transported to the Orange County Jail.

Candelaria face charges of false imprisonment, a felony, and battery stemming from an incident in January of this year. He has been relieved of duty and will remain so, pending the conclusion of the investigation, which is now under review by the State Attorney’s Office.

Candelaria was one of five Orlando Police officers who has received the Governor Jeb Bush’s Medal of Heroism. They received this award for their action in 2005, when they rescued a family from a burning apartment building. The officers also received the Award of Valor from the Orlando Police Department for this same incident.

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Covington Georgia Police Officer Det. Stanley Moore Arrested, Charged With Battery After Fight With His Girlfriend

COVINGTON, GEORGIA – A Covington police officer was arrested Wednesday night after getting info a fight with his girlfriend.

Covington police said that Newton County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call regarding a domestic dispute and charged Detective Stanley Moore with Battery.

Moore is currently on paid leave while the Covington Police Department conducts an internal investigation and the Newton County Sheriff’s Department conducts a criminal investigation.

The detective is assigned to the Covington Police Department’s criminal investigations division.

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Manchester Connecticut Police Officer Todd Belknap Back On Duty After Suspension For Attack On His Wife

MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT – An embattled Manchester police officer got his badge and gun back last week, but a departmental probe into allegations that he grabbed his estranged wife by the neck in November and threatened her could begin as early as today.

Officer Todd Belknap was restored to full duty after prosecutors at Rockville Superior Court dropped a breach of peace charge against him, saying that he had sought counseling and his wife did not wish to pursue the charge further.

Belknap, a former patrol officer who joined the force in 1990, was suspended for a short time after his arrest by state police in November and was later placed on restricted duty. On Wednesday, once the charge against him was dismissed and a criminal protective order lifted, Belknap was assigned to the department’s accreditation bureau.

But the resolution of the criminal charge also cleared the way for internal affairs to begin its own investigation, Capt. Roy Abbie said. “The internal investigation could not be done until the criminal investigation ran its course,” he said.

Belknap, 37, declined comment Friday except to say he will cooperate fully with the internal investigation of Karin Belknap’s allegations. Karin Belknap told a state trooper in November that her husband reached out of the driver’s side window of his car, grabbed her by the throat and shirt, and said “Armageddon is coming.”

Todd Belknap denied that he grabbed his wife or threatened her, according to the arrest warrant. He told the investigators he was sitting in his car outside his wife’s apartment, discussing some legal issues regarding paperwork for one of their cars. He also told police his wife had previously made false accusations against him.

Last spring, during an internal affairs investigation, Manchester police could not substantiate Karin Belknap’s earlier allegations that Belknap had been violent toward her.

But Manchester police charged Todd Belknap with assault in 1992 after two incidents involving another woman, his girlfriend at the time, in Manchester. The criminal charges were dismissed after Belknap was granted entry into a probation program that required him to attend family violence classes.

She sued the police department, contending that police ignored her call for help after the first alleged attack. The case was settled for $55,000.

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