Aurora cop convicted in assault of woman in parking lot takes plea deal

AURORA | A former Aurora Police officer will avoid jail time after pleading guilty to assaulting a woman with a disability.

Douglas Harroun repeatedly punched and choked Wyoma Martinez in the parking lot of his  Aurora apartment complex during a 2023 argument about a loose dog, according to police and court reports. In a court filing, he claimed that he was trying to arrest her even though he was off duty at the time. 

Harroun was initially charged with felony assault in the 2023 case. But, in an agreement with the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s office, he pleaded guilty last month to a single misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment. In exchange, Harroun agreed to two years of supervised probation and a requirement that he complete anger management classes. 

The DA’s office said the victim supported the plea deal.

“We considered all of the facts and circumstances involving this case and determined a plea agreement was the best option in securing a conviction and resolving the matter without further delays,” Assistant District Attorney Tom Byrnes said in a statement.

Because the assault occurred in Aurora, police handed over investigation to Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, according to an arrest affidavit.

The assault occurred while Harroun was off-duty and on administrative leave from the Aurora Police Department because of a separate, 2022 incident in which he is accused of  shooting a bystander in the ankle while responding to a domestic dispute. Harroun faces two felony assault charges in that case, and is scheduled for trial Nov. 5.

Harroun submitted his resignation to the Aurora Police Department in January 2023. 

Martinez, the woman Harroun assaulted, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city.  A federal judge in September refused the city’s request to dismiss her case, saying Aurora Police Department’s murky policies regarding officers on administrative leave could have contributed to Harroun’s behavior.