A San Francisco police officer accused of attacking a woman he was dating was ordered Friday to stand trial on felony assault and misdemeanor domestic violence battery charges, prosecutors said.
In an incident on Jan. 7, prosecutors allege that Richard Soares, who was off duty at the time, pushed the woman, causing her to hit her head and suffer a 1-inch cut to the back of her head.
He was arrested and charged, and has pleaded not guilty.
At his preliminary hearing on Friday, a judge found that there was sufficient evidence to hold Soares for trial. The judge denied a request to reduce the assault charge to a misdemeanor, according to the district attorney’s office.
Soares, who worked in the Police Department’s field operations bureau, remains out of custody on $60,000 and has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
He will return to court on April 6 for formal arraignment. The charges carry a maximum sentence of four years in state prison that would ultimately be served in county jail.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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