Woman claims assault, threats by officers

RENO, Nev. - A Reno woman says she was assaulted by a Reno police officer and now is being subjected to written and verbal threats after going to the department with her allegations.

Officials confirmed on Monday the woman is accusing one officer of physically assaulting her and as many as five others of threatening her.

Police Chief Jerry Hoover asked Sparks police to investigate the criminal allegations while Reno police conduct an internal probe.

Hoover said the woman came forward two weeks ago, alleging she was a victim of battery by an officer in the detective division.

Since then, she said other officers have threatened her and she has moved to a new home.

Sparks Chief John Dotson said preliminary interviews have been taking part since Wednesday and it's hoped that something will be ready in about a week to submit to the prosecutor and to Reno police.

Police also are looking into her claim that one bullet that was fired into her car around April 12, about when she first went to the Reno police.

Investigators said they are not sure that the shooting is related to the current investigation.

''We've been asked to conduct an investigation on their behalf into assault and battery charges against an officer she had a relationship with,'' Dotson told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

''We have additional allegations of threats by several other employees. There are allegations her car was shot at and that she was assaulted on another occasion.

''Once (the criminal) investigation is through, there are a lot of other facts that are non-criminal in nature that we need to investigate,'' Hoover said. ''There are a whole bunch of allegations and facts coming out of this and we don't know what is true.''

He said some of the officers involved in the complaint are detectives and others are ranked higher than an officer.

No officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, he said, adding that the officer under investigation for battery apparently was not on duty at the time of the incident.