Cop Accused of Groping Cuffed Pregnant Woman

With "he said; she said" when both statements are present, it is not difficult to discern truth from deception, or even errant perception.  We only have the alleged victim's statement and not that of the officer.  If we had both statements before us, we would likely know, as police would have both of them write out what happened.  Here, we only have a few sentences from the alleged victim. 

AUBURN, Wash. -- An Auburn police officer is under investigation for allegedly groping a pregnant and handcuffed woman.

The incident happened at 1:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning last month. The alleged victim, Hannah Thompson, said she was so traumatized that she's now afraid to be home alone because the officer knows were she lives.

Thompson said she got an uncomfortable feeling when spotted a police officer as she left the Sports Page Bar in Auburn.

"I had made eye contact with him and I kind of got just a weird vibe," she said.

note the certainty of the eye contact, and then note the lack of certainty with the perception.  That she can say "I had made eye contact" is strong, and the "vibe" is something that is a perception and more difficult to say with certainty.  For her it was "kind of" just a "weird vibe."

This is the expected.  
She drove away, and said the officer followed her the two blocks to her house.

"When I went to get out of the car he was like, 'Get back in the car,' and this whole time I didn't even know he was behind me. His lights weren't on or nothing," Thompson said.

Thompson claims the officer accused her of trying to elude him.

"He asked if I had something to drink, I said I had a glass of wine earlier at the Muckleshoot. I'm pregnant and can't drink," she said.

Communicative language is important as we look for consistency. 

He "asked" is polite and "I said" is appropriate to "asked";

Note that her answer is "I had a glass of wine earlier" and "I'm pregnant and can't drink." This is obviously inconsistent.  Follow up questions would have likely yielded an understanding. 

If someone said to you, "I had a drink.  I can't drink because..." would you ask for clarification? 

Journalists need training in Analytical Interviewing.  

When she said, "I can't drink" did she mean to excess?  If so, it may be her norm.  Having a single drink, to her subjective personal dictionary may not be "drinking" but it is only in the follow up questions that we can gain the information. 

She said the officer administered sobriety tests, then handcuffed her and put her in his patrol car. Thompson claims the officer said she smelled like pot and he would have to search her.

It would have been better for the journalist to write what she said here.  

"He went down my shirt in the front, underneath the wire," she said.

Thompson said the officer never looked in her jacket or back pockets, but did put his hand down the front of her pants.

"He started at the left side and went to the right side, and as he got to the front he kind of went down further," she said.

Thompson began crying and the officer took off her handcuffs, but told her he wanted more information.

"He asked, like, three different times if he could come inside," Thomspson said.

Note that he took off the cuffs, indicating a lesser tension.  At this point, she used the word "asked" which is more consistent with a lesser tense atmosphere. 

Note "three" is used.  If someone is going to fabricate, they often are drawn to "three", though it is not, by itself, to conclude deception via this number alone. Things do happen in threes, at three o'clock.  If we find it along with other indictors of deception, it becomes something of more interest to us. 
Thompson contacted the Auburn Police Department and the officer was placed on paid administrative leave. The Puyallup Police Department is now conducting a criminal investigation.

The officer is likely offered a polygraph.  Interestingly enough, police unions tell their own not to take the polygraph.  By calling it a criminal investigation, it is being taken seriously.  

"There have been no complaints like this before with this officer, and he's been with us for 4 to 5 years," said Auburn Police Commander Mike Hirman.

Note "like this" may indicate there have been other complaints, just not of this nature.  

Thompson's fiance said she's been stressed out and depressed ever since the incident and she miscarried last week.

"For it to be a law officer protecting to serve, who you are you going to turn to next if you feel you can't turn to them?" said Thompson's fiance, Benjamin Mayfield.

The use of "you", second person, is appropriate given the context.  

Puyallup police will forward the results of their investigation to the King County Prosecutor. 

Regardless of whether or not charges are filed, the Auburn Police Department will conduct its own investigation of the officers.

What do you think of the words of the alleged victim?

Is her description of what happened truthful?

Is it truthful that the officer asked to come inside her apartment three times?

Did the officer apologize and say he was off duty?

Or...

do we need more actual statements in order to draw a conclusion?

If the officer takes a polygraph, it will help bring clarity.  If he did not act inappropriately, nor seek entrance into her apartment, the polygraph can show it.  

Some police officers, when accused, will boldly take a polygraph, over their union's objections.