Darleene Barrientos
A Glendale Police officer will face charges Wednesday of stalking,
assault and false imprisonment by violence resulting from an off-duty
incident at a bar.
Jason Don Price, 28, was immediately relieved of his duties after
he was arrested Sept. 9, when witnesses reported he was assaulting a
21-year-old Sunland woman, Glendale Police spokeswoman Officer
Leticia Chang said.
Price was charged Monday with two counts of stalking, a charge of
false imprisonment and a charge of assault, plus a special allegation
of carrying a firearm, district attorney's office officials said.
Price is on administrative leave with pay, Chang said.
Price joined the department as a reserve officer in February 2000
and was hired as a sworn officer in January 2001, she said. Chang
declined to release details of the assault and said the nature of
Price's relationship with the woman was under investigation Monday.
Neither Price nor the woman were treated for any injuries on the
night of the alleged assault, Chang said.
Glendale Police officers initially booked Price for misdemeanor
battery at the Burbank city jail. Price was booked in Burbank rather
than in Glendale's city jail to avoid a conflict of interest, she
said.
The subsequent investigation by Glendale Police officers led them
to re-arrest Price and book him for felony stalking, she said.
Price was released Sept. 10 on $150,000 bail, Chang said.
A bartender who worked that evening said she had seen Price and
the woman believed to be his girlfriend at the Blue Moon Lounge, at
3509 N. Verdugo Road, playing darts about three times a week.
Price had just ordered a beer when the woman left with another
man, bartender Charlotte Jordan said. Price immediately left the bar,
Jordan said.
"[Price] had the door blocked, wouldn't let me out my back door,"
Jordan said. "He apparently hit his girlfriend, gave her a couple of
bruises. He was handling her kind of roughly. The cop had her up
against the corner of the door."
This case will be handled just like any other -- criminally and
administratively, Chang said.
"It's always a tarnish for any law-enforcement agency when an
officer is arrested. I think we're pleased with the outcome of our
investigation and how we handled it," she said. "It isn't different
from any other situation. If someone, even one of our own, disobeys
the law, we're going to take action."
Price's arrest is the second inappropriate action reported by
Glendale Police officers in three months. On July 2, Scott A.
Tollack, 22, was stopped by two Glendale Police officers on suspicion
of driving under the influence of alcohol in the driveway of the Mix
at 2612 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose. Police officials say the officers
inappropriately released Tollack to his stepfather, Officer Stephen
Eggett.
A fight later ensued at Eggett's home between Tollack and his
brother, Officer Michael Tollack, and Scott Tollack allegedly punched
his brother and his stepfather in the face. Police officials
discussed a possible charge of battery after the incident, but Chang
on Monday did not know the outcome of the investigation.
