Watch CBS News

Berthoud Police Investigation Was Spurred By Ex-Girlfriend's Claim

BERTHOUD, Colo. (CBS4) - A highly publicized investigation into the Berthoud Police Department is tied to a domestic dispute in which an officer's ex-girlfriend allegedly threatened to do everything she could to have him lose his job, a source told CBS4.

The dispute took place in March. Police were called to a home where Berthoud Officer Jeremy Yachik and his then-girlfriend Ashley Saint-Roberts were living.

Ashley Saint Roberts
Ashley Saint Roberts (credit: Loveland Police)

Authorities arrested Saint-Roberts after Yachik told police she had struck him, leaving him with a bloody face and broken glasses.

The police report CBS4 obtained stated a text message on Saint-Roberts' phone read "We got in a fight and I lost it on him. I hit him in the face."

Soon after that a copy of an old video was sent to Police chief Glenn Johnson, Yachik's boss. It showed Yachik striking his teenage daughter. The video was shot by Saint-Roberts sometime between a year and a half to 2 years ago.

Berthoud Police Chief Glenn Johnson
Former Berthoud Police Chief Glenn Johnson (credit: CBS)

Johnson, who is currently suspended and has been replaced by an interim department chief, met with Yachik but did not take disciplinary action.

The video was then sent out again by Saint-Roberts in September, this time to members of the town board and the news media.

The Loveland Police Department had already been conducting a criminal investigation of the domestic dispute and seized the police chief's computer.

Town officials then requested an internal investigation of the department. That internal investigation is now underway and is being conducted by the Larimer County Sheriff's Department.

Saint-Roberts did not return calls from CBS4. She is due to go on trial before the end of the year in connection with the domestic dispute.

Yachik has not been charged as of now but has been suspended from his job.

A new posting on Berthoud's city website explains more details about the situation. It states that the police department is "running at full capacity" despite the suspensions.

LINK: berthoud.org

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.