HAMPDEN, Maine — A part-time Hampden police officer who pleaded guilty to domestic violence assault last week has resigned from the force, an official said Friday.
William Briggs, 44, was placed on administrative leave in May after being accused of unlawful sexual contact. The charge was changed to domestic violence assault, according to Hampden police Sgt. Dan Stewart.
Briggs, who lives in Hampden, entered a guilty plea on Sept. 8 at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor and was sentenced to 90 days in jail with all the time suspended, according to the Penobscot County district attorney’s office.
“He pled guilty to domestic violence assault and [was sentenced to] one year of probation, 90 days with all suspended and a year of counseling,” Stewart said.
With the guilty plea, Briggs, who started as a dispatcher for Hampden and later became a part-time officer, lost his right to wear a police uniform.
“With a domestic violence conviction, he can no longer possess a firearm, so he will no longer work in law enforcement,” Stewart said.
Hampden police received a report of unlawful sexual contact involving Briggs on April 1, and after investigating the incident involving a woman over the age of 18, referred the case to the DA’s office for review and charges. Penobscot County Assistant District Attorney Marianne Lynch handled the case.
Briggs also is a full-time dispatcher for Penobscot Regional Communications Center in Bangor, where he has worked since 1990. He remains on unpaid administrative leave, Chad LaBree, PRCC executive director, said Friday.
“Due to [the legal] process, at this point he’s still on unpaid leave,” LeBree said. “Now that there is a plea, we’ll be able to again look at the situation. We were waiting for it to clear up [through the courts]. Now that that is behind him, we’ll look at his employment status.”