Overview
- Lieutenant Peter Abaskharoun was arrested after a domestic incident early Sunday and charged with assault and battery on a family or household member and witness intimidation, Burlington police and court records show.
- Police say investigators found a woman with facial injuries and blood in the bedroom and bathroom, and they identified Abaskharoun as the "primary aggressor," a standard finding that means officers judged him more responsible for the violence at the scene.
- Abaskharoun pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Woburn District Court on Monday, was held about six hours, released on $2,500 bail, and is due back for a pretrial hearing on Nov. 9.
- The Burlington Police Department placed him on paid administrative leave, seized his firearms, and opened an internal affairs investigation to decide what administrative discipline, if any, will follow the criminal case.
- Department officials said they will conduct a thorough review and the case could affect public trust in the force and how the department enforces conduct rules for officers, with next milestones being the internal probe and the November pretrial date.