Bellevue officer charged with assaulting woman, tampering

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- A Bellevue police officer has been charged with assault, witness tampering and violating a protection order in connection with incidents in which he allegedly punched a woman he was dating and then allegedly tried to get her to recant those allegations.

SeattlePI.com reports Officer John Kivlin was charged last week.

Charging documents say Kivlin became involved in a seven-month long affair with an Issaquah woman that began in September after the two met on Craigslist.

In April, charges say the woman reported being punched in the face by Kivlin twice. In the first incident, charges say she reported Kivlin displayed a gun and threatened to kill them.

Kivlin also allegedly sent messages to the woman saying she should take back what she told investigators.

Kivlin is on paid administrative leave and remains jailed on $250,000 bail.

It wasn't known if Kivlin has a lawyer.