Officer due in court on coercive and controlling behaviour charges
A serving police officer has been charged with two counts of engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour.
PC Mitchell Curtis of Avon and Somerset Constabulary also faces charges of intentional suffocation and criminal damage.
The 33-year-old officer is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court On August 3.
The offences, which occurred in the South Gloucestershire area, were reported to the force in October 2022.
PC Curtis, who is based in Bristol, was arrested the same day and suspended from duty. He is currently on conditional bail.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary said a parallel investigation is being carried out by its Professional Standards Department, which will focus on whether the standards of professional behaviour have been breached.
Detective Superintendent Lisa Simpson said: “These are very serious charges against a serving police officer, which have been subject to a detailed investigation over the past seven months.
“A file of evidence was collated by the investigating team and submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which authorised the charges to be brought.
“We’re unable to go into further details at this stage as we cannot risk prejudicing the ongoing criminal proceedings.”
Claire Williams of CPS South West said: “The CPS has authorised Avon and Somerset Constabulary to charge Mitchell Curtis with two charges of engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour and charges of intentional suffocation and criminal damage.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against Mitchell Curtis are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”