A Pentagon police officer who was arrested on murder charges last week was accused Saturday of assault in a separate case.
The officer, David Dixon, faces charges of first- and second-degree assault and using a firearm while committing a felony or violent crime, the Takoma Park Police Department said in a statement.
The allegations stem from an incident at a condominium complex in Takoma Park, Maryland, on May 6, 2020, when Dixon allegedly assaulted a woman with a long gun, the department said.
The department did not identify the woman.
After the incident occurred last year, Dixon told police that he pepper sprayed the woman after she assaulted him, the department said. Neither Dixon nor the woman mentioned the gun to responding officers, and the department said there was no evidence at the time that suggested he displayed the weapon.
No charges were filed in the case, the department said, but on Friday investigators obtained a video showing Dixon allegedly assaulting the woman.
A spokeswoman for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, where Dixon has worked since 2019, said that it would reopen an administrative investigation into the alleged assault, which she said occurred in the lobby of his condo building.
The agency will also probe a second off-duty incident that happened in Washington D.C. on July 29, 2020. The spokeswoman, Jacqueline Yost, did not provide additional details but said Dixon was cleared of wrongdoing in a criminal investigation conducted by the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and in an internal probe.
It wasn’t clear if Dixon has a lawyer. Court records don’t list one.
In the case from last week, Dixon faces second-degree murder charges after fatally shooting Dominique Williams, 32, and James Johnson, 38, on April 8. Dixon is also accused of attempted murder and other crimes after allegedly firing into a car at Michael Thomas, 36, during the same incident, authorities said.
Dixon, who was off-duty at the time, told police that he believed they were breaking into a car, the department said.
Takoma Park Police Chief Antonio DeVaul told reporters Friday that a car break-in was indeed occurring before the shooting. But he added, “Our investigation revealed that Mr. Dixon’s overview of events was inconsistent with the evidence and facts in the case.”
Before working for the Pentagon police force, Dixon served as a federal and military police officer, and as a combat crewman with the U.S. Air Force. A Pentagon police spokeswoman previously said he was current on use-of-force and firearms qualifications.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
