San Jose police officer charged with felony domestic violence against girlfriend
A San Jose police officer is on administrative leave and is facing felony domestic violence charges in connection with a series of incidents involving his now-pregnant girlfriend, prosecutors said.
According to Santa Clara Co. District Attorney Jeff Rosen's office, 31-year-old Timothy Hackney of Morgan Hill was arraigned Tuesday on felony and misdemeanor charges at the South County Courthouse. Hackney faces multiple charges, including shooting his duty weapon inside his home, false imprisonment and assault.
"Domestic violence is a terrible, destructive crime and all perpetrators must be held accountable – badge or no badge," Rosen said in a statement.
Prosecutors said the domestic violence incidents began more than a year ago.
During a trip in 2023, Hackney allegedly slapped the victim's phone out of her hand when she called the police. After managing to get out of a vehicle they were in, she went to a nearby restaurant and called police from a phone at the business. While she hung up the phone before speaking to officers, a record of the call exists.
In another incident last year, prosecutors said Hackney used his service weapon and fired a bullet through the ceiling of their home while their young child was at the residence.
"When the victim broke into the bedroom, the officer said to her, 'I missed'," the DA's office said.
Morgan Hill police found a hole in the roof consistent with a gunshot.
During a June 7 incident, prosecutors said Hackney forcibly picked up the victim and carried her into their bedroom to prevent her from leaving. He then covered her mouth and nose to stop her from screaming and threw her phone to another location to prevent her from calling 911.
At Tuesday's hearing, Hackney was released by the judge with conditions. He has been served a gun violence restraining order and is on administrative leave.
Acting Chief Paul Joseph released a statement Wednesday about the case against Hackney and an unrelated case against another officer who was placed on the POST decertification list.
"SJPD is aware of and fully cooperating with the investigating agencies regarding separate criminal allegations of two of our Officers. Upon learning of the allegations, both officers were immediately placed on administrative leave," Joseph saied. "These allegations are painful to learn, knowing our officers dedicate their lives to protecting victims. If the allegations are determined to be true, the department will act swiftly and they will never wear a San Jose badge again, full stop."
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are resources. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 (TDD: 1-800-787-3224) and provides free and private help in more than 100 languages.
Additional resources can be found on the California Courts website.