Dec 28, 2007 10:38 am US/Central
Charges: On-Duty Police Officer Groped Woman
WILLMAR, Minn. (AP) ―
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The complaint accused Paul Reed Schmidt of groping the woman through her clothing, then kissing her several times. (File)
CBS News
An Atwater police officer has been charged with groping a woman while he was on duty.
The officer, Paul Reed Schmidt, 34, is charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct. He has been on paid administrative leave since the allegations were made in mid-October, according to Atwater Police Chief Reed Schmidt, who is Paul Schmidt's father.
According to the complaint, the woman told a Kandiyohi County sheriff's detective that she went on a ride-along with Paul Schmidt, who then took her to the city's police department. She said Schmidt tackled and restrained her and made a sexual request. The complaint accused Schmidt of groping the woman through her clothing, then kissing her several times.
According to the complaint, Paul Schmidt told the detective that some "wrestling" took place at the police department and that he grabbed the woman's breast "by accident."
The case is being handled by the Stearns County Attorney's Office. No court date has been set. A woman answering the phone at Paul Schmidt's home declined to comment.
The maximum penalty for each of the charges is one year in jail and a $3,000 fine.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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