By Steve Lyttle and Ely Portillo
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com

A police officer assigned to patrol East Mecklenburg High School has been charged with assaulting his wife, officials said Thursday morning.

The accused, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police School Resource Officer Timothy Gerald, has been on the force since 1993.

Police spokesman Rob Tufano said the incident took place Wednesday in Gerald’s home in northeast Charlotte while he was off duty.

Domestic violence detectives arrived and interviewed people at the scene. “Detectives determined that probable cause existed to seek a warrant for Officer Gerald’s arrest,” Tufano said.

Gerald turned himself in Wednesday afternoon at police headquarters uptown. He was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and his bond was set at $1,500.

WCNC-TV, the Observer’s news partner, is reporting that Gerald and his wife have been separated for about a year, and that Gerald has custody of the couple’s child.

WCNC also is reporting that according to arrest records, Gerald’s wife complained that her husband struck her in the chest and face with his hand and knee during Wednesday’s alleged assault.

Court records show Gerald has no previous criminal history or domestic violence accusations in North Carolina.

Gerald has been placed on administrative leave with pay, pending a departmental review. Tufano said he can’t comment on whether Gerald has previously been suspended or faced misconduct accusations because personnel files are confidential.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials say they are unaware of any complaints about Gerald from students or staff at East Mecklenburg High.

The arrest is at least the third allegation of misconduct against CMPD officers in the past three months.

In December, former Officer Marcus Jackson was charged with sexually assaulting several women while on duty. He was hired by CMPD in 2008 even though he had two allegations of domestic violence against him.

In January, former Officer Hamlett Almendarez resigned after allegations that he engaged in a sex act in a public restroom at a Fuel Pizza restaurant while on duty. He was not charged with a crime.

Tufano said in addition to the criminal charge against Gerald, an Internal Affairs investigation is under way “regarding violation of CMPD directives.” He did not elaborate on what those directives are, but CMPD requires officers to conform to the law.

WCNC-TV contributed to this report.

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