SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A police officer on the Wasatch Front is accused of domestic violence after he was arrested Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a woman, stopping her from making a phone call to family and stabbing a couch in a fit of anger.
Shaun Comsa, 24, of Orem, was charged this week in Utah County with three domestic violence-related misdemeanors: assault, damage to/or interruption of a communication device, and damage to property, court documents show.
Comsa was an officer with the Mapleton Police Department when the alleged violence ocurred. Chief John Jackson told ABC4 that Comsa was placed on administrative leave pending termination following his arrest, and he immediately resigned.
“We voice support to all victims of domestic violence and all those working diligently every day to combat the negative effects of domestic violence within our communities,” Jackson said, in a statement. “If you or a loved one are in an abusive relationship, help is available.”
According to a probable cause affidavit, Orem police responded late Tuesday to an argument at a home on North Orem Boulevard. Officers could hear shouting from outside the residence.
After officers knocked on the door, they met with Comsa, who told them nothing had happened and the incident was “verbal only,” the affidavit states.
But when officers spoke with a woman in the home, she had a different story. She said that she tried to leave the house during the argument, but Comsa grabbed her and attempted to push her outside. She also said that Comsa had forcibly grabbed her while she was on the couch, ripping her pants.
She showed the officers bruises on her wrist, leg and abdomen, which she attributed to recent incidents where Comsa grabbed her, the affidavit states.
The day before in another argument, she told officers, Comsa took a knife and started stabbing the couch repeatedly. At some point, the knife hit something in the furniture, causing it to fold in and cut Comsa’s finger.
When officers asked to see his hand, they found a cut on one of his fingers, the affidavit states.
The woman also told officers about a recent incident where she tried to call her a relative but Comsa took her phone. He allegedly wouldn’t give it back until one of his family members confronted him, the affidavit states.
In speaking with police, Comsa said that he grabbed the woman because he thought she would leave and throw things at him. He told officers he stabbed the couch out of anger, the affidavit states.
Comsa is not in custody. His bail was set at $680 cash or bond, court documents show.
All the counts against Comsa are class B misdemeanors, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Jackson, the police chief, said that details surrounding Comsa’s arrest were reported to the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training board, which oversees police officer certifications.
Support for victims and survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence is available 24/7: 1-800-897-LINK (5465). If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, please call 911 immediately
