Renton Officer Resigns Amid Criminal Charges

RENTON, WA — Officer Tanuj Soni, facing assault and misconduct charges stemming from his August arrest, has resigned from the Renton Police Department. Prosecutors accuse Soni of abusing his power as a police officer and initiating a violent encounter. He has pleaded not guilty.

According to court documents filed last month, Soni and a woman he called a confidential informant met at a Des Moines park under the premise of discussing a case. While there, Soni and the woman drank wine, and at one point he asked her to take off her clothes, then began slapping her body. As he became more aggressive, documents say, the woman texted "SOS" to a friend and ran to get help.

After the arrest, Renton Police placed Soni on administrative leave. The police department says their independent investigation found several internal polices had been violated.

Soni's next scheduled court appearance is October 15th.