PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A sergeant with the Portland Police Bureau is facing a sex abuse charge after being arrested in Washington County, authorities announced.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office announced they responded to Toby’s Sports Pub on Saturday, Oct. 29, where a woman told deputies that she had been touched inappropriately and her hair had been pulled by another bar patron the night before.
After speaking to the woman and several other witnesses, along with looking at surveillance video from the bar, deputies determined the man had “unwantedly touched the female victim in the groin area and pulled her hair unprovoked,” WCSO’s press release states.
WCSO says they then learned the man was 46-year-old Darke Hull — a sergeant with the Portland Police Bureau.
The sheriff’s office notified the PPB’s Professional Standards Division on November 1, when they told the division Hull was “the focus on the investigation.” He was off duty at the time of the incident, PPB said.
On Thursday, Hull was criminally cited for third-degree sex abuse and harassment, according to WCSO.
PPB says Hull is a 23-year veteran of the bureau and is assigned to the Traffic Division, but has since been placed on administrative leave.
“As law enforcement officers, we are held to a higher standard,” Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said. “In order to preserve the public trust, we are informing the community of this incident. Now we must allow time for a complete and thorough investigation to proceed.”
The PPB states they will not comment further on the incident to “ensure an objective internal investigation is conducted, and to protect public employees’ privacy interests.”
KOIN 6 reached out to the police association president, who responded in part: “We respect due process and support a full and thorough investigation, and will have no further comment at this time.”
This is a developing story.