Renton Cop Charged With Assault, Abuse Of Office

RENTON, WA — Renton police said Wednesday that the department will conduct an internal investigation into the arrest of officer Tonuj Soni, who was charged Wednesday with fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation and abuse of office for hitting a woman during an illicit encounter in Des Moines on Aug. 10.

Soni was placed on administrative leave after the arrest, the department has said. Renton police are also cooperating with Des Moines police in their investigation. He is out of jail on $50,000 bail.

"If the allegation against Officer Soni is true, it is deeply unsettling," Deputy Chief Jon Schuldt wrote in a letter published on Facebook. "However, we have confidence and trust in our judicial system to conduct a thorough investigation resulting in the appropriate outcome."

Soni, 30, met the victim at a public park early in the morning on Saturday. They drank wine "for a couple of hours," and at one point Soni told the woman to remove her clothes, court documents say.

Soni then began slapping the woman in the face and on her buttocks, according to a police report. The slapping became more aggressive, and the woman asked Soni to stop, court documents say. She tried to text a friend while Soni was busy looking for a hotel to go to, and then she took off running to find help at a nearby home.

When confronted by Des Moines police, Soni told the officers the woman was his confidential information. Des Moines noted that Soni was drunk at the time of his arrest, a police report says.

In charging documents, King County prosecutors said Soni tried to cover up the meeting with the woman by erasing messages on her phone. But the woman later met with Des Moines police, and a detective was able to retrieve messages from Soni of the victim's iPad.

"We know this is an extremely difficult time for our Renton community, as well as for our police department family," Schuldt wrote. "Please be assured that your police department remains committed to providing the highest level of service to you and are determined to provide a sense of safety, security, and transparency to the city of Renton."