FAYETTEVILLE -- The criminal investigation into a longtime Fayetteville policeman closed last week without charges, said Ernest B. Cate, the Springdale city attorney who was asked to investigate.
Cate said in a Feb. 27 letter he was closing the case against Sgt. Dominic Swanfeld because of conflicting evidence and because the woman who said he slapped her twice Jan. 30 at his home didn't want to pursue criminal charges.
"I am honoring her wishes," Cate wrote. "After reviewing this incident, it is my opinion that insufficient evidence exists to charge Mr. Swanfeld with any criminal offense at this time."
Swanfeld is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into the incident, said Deputy Chief Mike Reynolds, previously.
Swanfeld has worked at the department about 17 years and earns about $62,700 a year, not including overtime pay, according to the city human resources department.
The woman didn't file a police report initially and Swanfeld wasn't arrested, Cate said.
Swanfeld was reprimanded and suspended for 30 days for his actions during a Fraternal Order of Police State Conference last June in Fayetteville, according to a disciplinary letter to Swanfeld dated Sept. 2, 2014.
Swanfeld and two other policemen were reprimanded and suspended in connection with drinking and using police department vehicles.
Swanfeld also engaged in conduct "detrimental to the efficiency or morale of the department," according to the disciplinary document. He violated the city's harassment policy "as it applied to creating a hostile work environment" for about four people, whose names are redacted from the letter.
Swanfeld was removed from the police Special Investigations Unit and assigned to patrol. He wasn't allowed to take home a Police Department vehicle for 180 days after his suspension ended.
The Washington County prosecutor asked Cate to investigate the most recent incident to avoid any conflict of interest, Prosecutor Matt Durrett said previously.
NW News on 03/04/2015