Renton Cop Hit Woman During Sexual Encounter, Police Say

RENTON, WA — The Renton officer arrested early Saturday morning in Des Moines is facing a second-degree assault charge for hitting a woman at a public park during a sexual encounter, according to court documents.

Renton officer Tanuj Soni, 30, was booked into the King County Jail in Kent on a charge of second-degree assault around 1 p.m. Saturday, according to jail records. He was released on Monday after an initial court appearance.

According to court documents, Soni asked a woman to meet him at a city park to talk about a case he was investigating. While there, Soni had the woman drink wine, and at one point 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 a police report. 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, the police report says. He was eventually arrested on an assault charge. The King County Prosecutor on Monday found probable cause to charge Soni with second-degree assault with a sexual motivation. He was released from jail and will next appear in court on Aug. 14.

Soni has been placed on administrative leave, Renton police spokesman Commander David Liebman said.

Soni joined Renton police in 2008 as a cadet working in the city detention center, according to a Renton Reporter article from that time. In 2016, he was hailed by Mayor Denis Law for his response to a shoplifting call in the Renton Highlands. The shoplifter was stealing out of hunger, and Soni bought the man food, according to Law's speech.