Boston police officer on leave after being charged with felony strangulation
A Boston Police officer had his certification to work in law enforcement in Massachusetts suspended after he was arraigned on a pair of criminal charges in connection with an assault on a woman he had been dating, according to records and a published report .
Ricardo Alexandre is charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and a misdemeanor count of assault and battery on a family/household member in connection with an incident in Norwood on Dec. 28, court records show.
The police department placed him on administrative leave with pay, Sgt. Det. John Boyle, the department's chief spokesman, confirmed.
Alexandre's law enforcement certification was suspended by the Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, Commission on New Year's Eve. All law enforcement officers charged with a felony in Massachusetts have their certifications automatically suspended.
Alexandre was released on personal recognizance following an arraignment in Dedham District Court last week, records show.
A woman Alexandre was dating accused him of strangling her while the pair were having sex on Dec. 28, The Boston Globe reported. The woman did not report the incident until two days later because he apologized for hurting her and she wanted him out of her life, the paper reported.
But she eventually came forward after becoming concerned about Alexandre's well-being, the Globe reported.
Peter Pasciucco, a lawyer representing Alexandre, told the Globe he denies the allegation.
"We will let the process play out and are confident the matter will be resolved in his favor," Pasciucco, who did not immediately return a request for comment from MassLive, told the paper.
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