Denver officer arrested after alleged domestic violence assault faced separate domestic abuse case before becoming cop

Jeremy Olive, a Denver police officer arrested on New Year's Eve for a suspected domestic violence assault, also faced a previous domestic abuse case before he became a police officer, court records show. 

In his New Year's Eve assault case, Olive, 50, struck the victim - who CBS News Colorado is not naming - in the chest with his palm, causing "visible redness," according to a Douglas County Sheriff's Office arrest report. That report was obtained through an open records request after his initial arrest.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) | 1-800-787-3224 [TTY]

The alleged assault happened around 10 p.m. New Year's Eve and Olive was arrested and booked into the Douglas County Jail just after midnight on New Year's Day, that report shows. Olive admitted to pushing the victim, investigators said.

Both Olive and the victim showed "signs of intoxication," the report went on to say. It also says there were no mental health issues, but that Olive has access to firearms.

There were no previous calls for service involving Olive and that victim, according to his arrest report, but court records show a case from 1994 where a risk protection order was filed against Olive for alleged domestic abuse. A Jefferson County judge granted that restraining order at the time.

The plaintiff in that case, who CBS News Colorado is not naming, said Olive is "capable of violence," "owns handgun," "phoned me late at night (sexually harassing me)," "known to have people beaten" and "extremely scared for my life."

That case was closed in 1995 but then reopened in 2002 when both parties asked the court to end the restraining order.

Olive, a police officer with the Denver Police Department since 2005, was suspended without pay after the New Year's Eve arrest, the department said in a statement. The department said he was in a "non-patrol assignment" prior to his arrest and newly released records show he worked in the telephone report unit.

He did a three-month stint with the vice/narcotics unit in 2018. Prior to that, he served in the gang unit for a month in 2008. Between those assignments, he appears to have worked regular patrols in Districts 1 and 3, in the city's northwest and southeast corner, respectively.

According to the Peace Officers Standards and Training division of the Colorado Attorney General's Office, this is the only incident warranting disciplinary review in Olive's time with DPD. That review has been open since Jan. 2 and is pending as Olive's court case proceeds.

His internal affairs file shows several complaints and cases against him since 2006, most of which were not sustained. He was found to have improperly discharged a firearm. The following are some of the more serious allegations against him:

• In October 2006, just over a year after becoming a Denver police officer, Olive was accused of inappropriate force and discourtesy. That was ruled unfounded.
• In March 2007 he improperly fired a gun, for which he received an 8-hour suspension, according to the internal affairs division.
• He was again cleared of inappropriate force allegations in June, August and November 2008 and May 2011.
• In October 2009, he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman he arrested for suspected DUI after he took her to police headquarters, for which he was cleared by his department.
• He was also cleared in two internal affairs investigations for "aggravated conduct prohibited by law" in 2010 and 2012.

In the New Year's Eve assault case, Olive appeared in court earlier this month for a status check and is due back in court on Valentine's Day for a pre-trial conference. He was released on a $3,000 bond.

Olive's salary at the time of his suspension was $101,889, according to a Denver police spokesman.

Though he was charged with assault, the case rests in the domestic violence division of the court, a spokesman for the District Attorney's Office said.

CBS News Colorado reached out to the Denver Police Department with several questions, who referred us to Denver's Civil Service Commission, an independent agency tasked with hiring, examining, screening and certifying police officer and firefighter candidates.

When asked if a restraining order for domestic abuse would disqualify someone from becoming a Denver police officer and if that's part of a background check, the agency's director declined to comment.

Olive's attorney also couldn't be reached by phone and did not return several calls seeking comment.

RELATED: Domestic violence: Where to get help in Colorado

Colorado's Domestic Violence Program is part of the Colorado Department of Human Services and works with and helps people find community-based domestic violence advocacy programs.