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Portland police Officer Jeromie Palaoro has resigned from the force and pleaded guilty to official misconduct, eight months after a woman visiting from Las Vegas said he arrived at her Pearl District hotel room to follow up on her domestic assault complaint, stripped naked and ordered her to give him a massage.
Palaoro's resignation and guilty plea were first reported by The Oregonian, which offered a detailed account from the courtroom. Court records show Palaoro, an eight-year veteran of the Portland Police Bureau, pleaded guilty to official misconduct in the first degree. He will receive 18 months of probation.
In July, WW broke the story that Roni Reid-James filed legal claim with the city after an alleged sexual assault by Palaoro at the Marriott Residence Inn on Northwest 9th Avenue on July 5.
Reid-James told WW that Palaoro showed her his service weapon before taking off his clothes, groped her and asked for sexual favors, then warned her not to tell anyone because he was writing the report on her assault complaint.
Portland police officials opened an internal investigation into Palaoro's actions July 5. A PPB spokesman has not yet responded to WW's inquiry on the status of that investigation.
Reid-James’ attorneys, Randall Vogt and Barbara Long, filed a July 9 notice of her intent to sue the city “after completion of the sex crimes investigation.”
Reid-James’ civil claim against the city remains unresolved.
UPDATE, 7:10 pm: Portland Police Chief Larry O’Dea has issued a brief statement on Palaolo’s resignation.
“The Portland Police Bureau takes allegations of misconduct seriously,” says O’Dea. “I appreciate the work of the Detective Division and the District Attorney’s Office for their work on this case to bring about a resolution.”
The press release notes that Palaoro’s police certification was revoked by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training—meaning he can no longer be a police officer.
The internal investigation will continue to its conclusion, regardless of Palaoro’s resignation and plea, says police spokesman Sgt. Peter Simpson.
WW intern Peter D'Auria contributed to this story.
Willamette Week