Police officer let go

A Huntington Beach police officer charged with 17 felony counts for abusing his wife and girlfriend has been let go after a nearly six-month internal investigation, the police chief said Monday night.

James Roberts III was let go last week after being on administrative leave for several months, Police Chief Ken Small said.

“We concluded our internal investigation and he is no longer a member of the police department,” Small said.

Small said he couldn’t discuss why Roberts was let go, citing personnel issues.

Roberts was charged in February with a series of physical abuses against his ex-wife and threatening to kill her at least once after an investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County district attorney.

While still married, he allegedly had a girlfriend, whom he is also accused of assaulting.

Roberts was arrested in September, but the Huntington Beach Police Department was asked by the other agencies to hold its internal investigation until they completed their own. The department began an internal investigation in October.

During that time, Roberts has been on administrative leave collecting a full paycheck of $7,275 a month.

The department completed its investigation in late February, but came to its final decision last week.

Roberts pleaded not guilty Feb. 26 to eight counts of false imprisonment by violence or deceit, three counts of criminal threats, two counts of domestic battery with corporeal injury, two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of dissuading a witness and vandalism.

The charges hold a maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison. Roberts has been out on $250,000 bail and is expected to begin pre-trial 8:30 a.m. Thursday in Courtroom C-55 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.