Police Officer Charged With Domestic Assault in Vermont

A Burlington, Vermont, police officer has been charged with domestic assault, state police said Thursday.

Ethan Thibault, 37, was charged on Wednesday, police said. He has been an officer with the Burlington Police Department since 2001.

The department asked state police to investigate Monday when a woman received a temporary relief from abuse order against Thibault.

The woman told police on Wednesday that Thibault had assaulted her more than once, most recently on Saturday at a home in Hinesburg.

Thibault met voluntarily with detectives and was charged with domestic assault. He posted $750 bail and is due in court Thursday morning. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer. A woman who answered the phone at a number listed in Thibault's name hung up without comment Thursday morning.

Bruce Bovat, deputy chief of the Burlington Police Department, said Thibault has been placed on administrative leave, which is department policy. In a statement, the department said it will conduct an internal investigation after the state police probe is completed.

Thibault's arrest was the second of a Burlington officer this summer. In July, Leanne Werner was charged with drunken driving with death resulting after an off-duty crash claimed the life of a 74-year-old man. She has pleaded not guilty.