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An Ogden City Police Officer who was hailed as a hero for helping stop the Trolley Square shooter is now under fire for allegedly assaulting a woman he arrested. Those allegations were outlined in a complaint filed today in federal court.
In her civil suit, Natasha Child claims Officer Ken Hammond threatened her, abused her and pulled down her pants during an arrest in May. She says his intent bordered on sexual and crossed the line of abusive.
"I felt violated almost like I couldn't believe it was happening. Somebody you're supposed to trust and be honest is assaulting me," she said.
Hammond has repeatedly been honored for his role in bringing the Trolley Square shooting to an end. This time, though, Child says she watched Hammond rough up her husband after an arrest. When she said something, she says Hammond came after her.
"He had already beat him up and he took that out on me also. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what he was going to do," Child said.
But information from the police report that night tells a different story. Hammond writes he didn't know her "pants were down around her knees" until they got to his patrol car. He goes on to say, "I did not feel comfortable with grabbing a female and pulling her pants up while I was by myself."
But Child's attorney believes there is a pattern of abuse displayed by Hammond. That belief is based on a conversation Child allegedly had with an Ogden police officer.
Attorney Robert Sykes said, "This officer has done this to other people. It's not the first time it's happened. And he's done it to other people in the department."
We called the Ogden Police Department this afternoon; they said they didn't know anything about the lawsuit. We called the police chief, but he didn't return our phone calls.
Officer Hammond is currently on paid administrative leave while the department investigates an allegation of misconduct that happened in 2005.
E-mail: lprichard@ksl.com
