[CO] POLICE CHIEF KATZ CHOKES AND FACE PUNCHES FAMILY MEMBER

Log Lane Village Police Chief Joshua Katz claimed he was trying to calm down a suicidal family member by "holding her down, strangling her and punching her in the face, causing the victim to lose her hearing on her left side." His initial felony charges were whittled down to assault and mischief, which will disappear if he successfully completes 2 years of probation. He's been decertified to work as law enforcement in Colorado only. 

LOG LANE VILLAGE POLICE CHIEF ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
May 16, 2021
[EXCERPTS] The chief of the Log Lane Police Department (LLPD) was arrested Saturday night on domestic violence charges, according to the Fort Morgan Police Department(FMPD). Joshua Katz, 33, was arrested on suspicion of the following charges, according to FMPD: Second-degree assault, Third-degree assault, False imprisonment, Harassment, and Domestic violence... Katz was arrested... held without bail pending an arraignment... "The Log Lane Police Department would like to inform the citizens we serve, that we are aware of the ongoing investigation with Chief Katz and we are cooperating with the investigation and our partners at the Fort Morgan Police Department and Morgan County Sheriff’s Office. We are dedicated to serving those in our community and we are always here for you"... [LINK]

LOG LANE VILLAGE POLICE CHIEF ARRESTED ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ASSAULT CHARGES
May 17, 2021
[EXCERPTS] ...Fort Morgan Police Chief Loren Sharp shared that at approximately 3:12 p.m., Fort Morgan Police officers were called for a report of a domestic violence call that was reported to have occurred in Log Lane Village. A third party had made a report and indicated that the victim was assaulted by Joshua Katz of Log Lane Village. Officers spoke with the victim and completed an investigation... Katz was arrested, without incident, and was initially being held without bond in Morgan County’s jail. He has since been moved to the Logan County Detention Center in Sterling... The Log Lane Village Police Department is a force of only three officers, including Katz. He has been placed on administrative leave... Log Lane Village Mayor Robin Mastin also put out a statement regarding the arrest of Katz on her Facebook page: “To the Good people of Log Lane, I know by now everyone has heard about Chief Josh Katz. He is not only an officer, but he is a human being. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors! So I am not condoning what has happened between him and his wife. I am not saying that he is innocent, but I am also not saying he is guilty. That is for the judge to decide. Remember, there are always two sides to every story. Some people love him, people who have had dealing with him hate him. But until we know exactly what went on between the BOTH of them, no one should assume that they know. He will be Placed on Administrative leave until we figure all of this out. Please keep them both in your Prayers”... [LINK]

AFFIDAVIT REVEALS MORE DETAILS IN COLORADO POLICE CHIEF’S ARREST ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES
May 18, 2021
[EXCERPTS] ...An arrest affidavit released Tuesday and obtained by Denver7 is shedding new light on the events that led to the arrest... The incident stems from a verbal argument between Katz and his wife regarding the bathroom door being locked, the affidavit reads. Katz was in the bathroom, and when he left the room, he began hitting the victim, according to the documents. Katz is also accused of holding the victim down, strangling her and punching her in the face, causing the victim to lose her hearing on her left side... The suspect told investigators that the victim was suicidal and he was trying to calm her down. He did admit to slapping the victim, the affidavit reads... The Fort Morgan Police Department, with assistance from the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, is handling the investigation.  [LINK]

FORMER LOG LANE VILLAGE POLICE CHIEF PLEADS GUILTY TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGE
August 13, 2021
[EXCERPTS] The former chief of the Log Lane Village Police Department has pleaded guilty to two charges in connection with a domestic violence incident... He pleaded guilty in Morgan County Court Thursday to a felony assault charge and one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief, according to court records. ALL OTHER CHARGES WERE DROPPED. [Original charges: Second-degree assault, Third-degree assault, False imprisonment, Harassment, and Domestic violence.] Katz was given a deferred sentence and must complete two years of probation, court records show... Katz automatically loses his certification to be a law enforcement officer in Colorado because of the felony conviction. He resigned from his post in June...  [LINK]

[tags police officer, sheriff's deputy, sgt, top cop, police chief, policy, officer involved domestic violence, oidv, intimate partner violence, abuse, law enforcement, public safety, felony, teflon, repeat hx, police tactics, tactical training, colorado state politics, preferential treatment, dv is not a civil issue it is a crime, trauma, terror]