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LAYTON — A Layton police officer has been arrested and charged with stalking after allegedly sending numerous text messages to his ex-girlfriend and showing up at her residence on multiple occasions — sometimes while in uniform.
Austin Levi Christofferson, 33, of Layton, was charged Monday in 2nd District Court with stalking, a third-degree felony.
A woman reported that she arrived home Wednesday to find Christofferson, with whom she had previously been in a relationship, sitting in his vehicle near her apartment.
"The victim mouthed, 'Why are you here?' while raising her arms. At that point the vehicle left the apartment complex," a police booking affidavit states.
The woman told investigators that Christofferson has been stalking her since December and that "the stalking occurred through text messaging, phone calls, and showing up at the victim's residence uninvited and unannounced on multiple occasions," the affidavit alleges.
On June 29, the woman "after approximately six months of an on-and-off-again relationship ... informed (Christofferson) that their relationship was completely over and asked (him) to leave her alone." Despite the request, between that day and July 2, she received "approximately 68 text messages and 35 calls from Christofferson," according to charging documents.
One message Christofferson sent was a picture of the woman and himself with blood on it with the caption, "You could have saved me," the charges state.
"The victim expressed … that this made her fearful for her safety," police wrote.
Between July 2 and July 7, the woman received approximately 80 more text messages and 29 more calls from Christofferson, the affidavit states, and "between July 9 and July 12, Christofferson sent the victim 29 messages, some of which the victim replied and told him to stop contacting her."
The woman says he also has shown up to her residence multiple times in his police vehicle and while in uniform "which further made her fearful for her safety and fearful to report due to his influence with police," according to the affidavit.
Based on the evidence, "a lethality assessment protocol was also completed and showed the victim to be in high danger," deputies noted.
Christofferson was placed on administrative leave by the Layton Police Department after administrators learned of the allegations. He was hired in 2017 and was assigned as a patrol officer at the time of his arrest.
