South Pittsburg police officer accused of sexual assault

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tennessee (WDEF) – A South Pittsburg police officer is under investigation after being accused of a sexual assault. This is the second time in less than a month that an officer in the department has been investigated.

Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett says deputies were called to a hospital on Friday night because a woman wanted to report an alleged sexual assault against an officer.

Interim Chief Brenda Roth says the officer is part-time and is now on leave. She says he was on duty the night of the allegations. According to Roth, he was with the department for three years and there had never been any complaints about him before.

District Attorney Mike Taylor says currently no charges have been filed against the officer.

The TBI is already investigating a police brutality complaint against the South Pittsburg Police Department.

In that case, the officer is accused of kicking a suspect in the head who was already in cuffs. The city demoted Police Chief Ryan Meeks shortly after that complaint.