Renton Officer Arraigned On Assault, Abuse Of Office Charges

RENTON, WA — Renton police officer Tanuj Soni was arraigned on Thursday at King County Superior Court on charges of fourth-degree assault and abuse of office. Soni has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Soni was arrested on Aug. 10 after an encounter with a woman in Des Moines that grew violent, according to prosecutors. Renton police have placed Soni on administrative leave and are conducting an internal investigation. On Thursday, King County Judge Chad Allred exonerated Soni's bail and set his next court date for Oct. 15.

According to court documents, Soni asked the victim to meet him at a city park to talk about a case he was investigating. While there, Soni and the woman drank wine, and at one point he asked her to take off her clothes and get on her knees, court documents say.

Soni then began slapping the woman in the face and on her buttocks, according to court documents. He became more aggressive and the woman tried to text "SOS" to a friend, the documents say. She then ran to a nearby home to get help. When Des Moines police arrived, Soni was drunk and told officers that the woman was his confidential informant, documents say.

Soni, who grew up in Federal Way, joined Renton police as a cadet in 2008.