Why would an officer ONLY be charged with this?

http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2010/05/21/news/doc4bf6706bbbd4c549588030.txt

Story:

NAUGATUCK - Police in Naugatuck said they have arrested one of their own following a domestic dispute between an officer and his live-in girlfriend on Thursday.

Family members of Officer Peter Bosco informed the Naugatuck Police Department that he and his girlfriend were involved in a domestic dispute, which became physical, police said.

Bosco was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Bosco had been on leave due to a work-related injury and has since been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

My questions:
Why was he not charged with the assault if he got physical with his girlfriend?
Is it not automatic under domestic violence laws to be arrested on the spot?
If this was an average citizen, would this be the only charge?

No offense officers. I do respect police officers and I know not all are bad and I am not dogging anybody, but how did this happen?

KC V â„¢

There could be several reasons for not charging the officer with assault. One reason may have been the fact that the "conduct" was short of an actual assault. Whereas, disorderly conduct would have been appropriate had the offense occurred in public.

None the less, the disorderly conduct charge is normally easier to prove in court with there being two sides to an assault story!

Because it was a domestic violence offense, the officer could very easily lose his job because of his inability to control his temper! Law enforcement does not tolerate spouse abusers in the profession.

An arrest is not always "automatic." The requirements for a lawful arrest must comply with the US Constitution. Even though the laws have recently provided more leeway in making an arrest when the officer didn't witness the offense, the officer still needs evidence that the offense was committed.

I'd venture to say, if this were the average citizen, the officers responding would attempt to bring the arguing couple back together unless the couple showed no signs of recapitulation. If that were the case, the citizen would face the same charges. When it comes to these type laws, law enforcement officers are just like the "average citizen" and compelled to follow the same rules.

Jimmy Whispers X

It's just a few cops protecting their own illegally. They were forced to charge him with something so they charged him with the lightest chargeable offense.

I knew some moron would claim these cops were innocent, but come on. The cop brushed up on his girlfriend? Get real.

ebola_patient_zero

" I do respect police officers "

Ha. Why?

This isn't the least bit surprising. 40% of police, that's 4 out of every 10, openly admit that they use violence against their domestic partners[1].

silvercharm516

Physical doesn't mean an all-out brawl.

Sometimes people call the police just because contact was made, even a brush of the hand with no intent to harm, push, or injure.

The DA would be the one approving the charges, not the police. The DA looks at the evidence and charges accordingly.

MAN your man could smell like

You can act disorderly without assaulting someone. E.g. throwing stuff or making threats. There are too many variables.
By the way, if a cop does the exact same thing a civilian does he gets screwed over a loooot more for it.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: