Prosecutors drop case against officer
Published 8:02 pm Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Prosecutors chose on Tuesday not to pursue criminal charges against a Suffolk police officer.
Officer Nicholas Thompson’s wife, Ida Thompson, had told police in a sworn statement that her husband had pointed his service weapon at her head and threatened to kill her, and also physically assaulted her on a separate occasion, according to arrest warrant affidavits.
During a hearing in Suffolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, charges against Nicholas Thompson, 34, of brandishing a firearm and assault and battery were not prosecuted at Ida Thompson’s request.
Suffolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Phil Ferguson said the case had been turned over to a special prosecutor after his office recused itself “for a variety of reasons.”
A protective order against Nicholas Thompson was vacated in the court Tuesday, also at his wife’s request.
The couple also signed a temporary order filed in Suffolk Circuit Court on custody, support and other matters, ahead of a final divorce determination.
An arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday in Chesapeake General District Court for Tiffany Valentine, 29, another Suffolk police officer facing an assault charge stemming from Ida Thompson’s allegations.
Ida Thompson told investigators Valentine assaulted her when she confronted Valentine over an alleged affair with Nicholas Thompson.
Valentine’s attorney, Randolph Raines, has said a protective order against his client was dismissed after an agreement between the parties was reached. Raines has said audio evidence will corroborate their position that the allegations against his client, Valentine, are “baseless.”
Nicholas Thompson was placed on paid administrative leave from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, and the city agreed to let him take annual leave from Dec. 2 to Dec. 9. The department was conducting an Internal Affairs investigation of both Thompson and Valentine, who was also placed on paid administrative leave, according to city officials.
Asked whether Nicholas Thompson would now be returning to work with the police department, city spokeswoman Diana Klink stated that the question was “related to personnel issues, and as such we will not be providing comment or responding further.”
Thompson’s service weapon, seized by police during the execution of a search warrant, would be returned to him “when and if he returns to duty,” she stated.