Officer accused of groping women while on duty resigns Metro Police post

By Conor Shine

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 | 2:57 p.m.

A Metro Police officer accused of groping two women while on duty last year has resigned from the force, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

John Norman, 33, was arrested in February and charged with felony oppression under the color of law, gross misdemeanor oppression under the color of law, felony coercion and gross misdemeanor open and gross lewdness after two separate incidents in which he allegedly assaulted the women.

According to the criminal complaint, on June 23, 2011, Norman forced a woman to remain in a police car while he manipulated her bra and breasts. During the second incident, on Dec. 10, 2011, Norman allegedly detained another woman and forced her to “lift her shirt up over her bra,” and touched her.

He was placed on unpaid leave after his arrest, and on Tuesday tendered his resignation to the department, Sgt. John Sheahan said.

Norman, who joined Metro in 2008, still is being investigated by the agency’s internal affairs division, Sheahan said.

“The ongoing internal investigation is in major case review. He will most likely be sustained for violations of policy which will become part of his personnel file,” Sheahan said.

Norman’s criminal case is still working its way through the Clark County courts system. On Monday, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Justice Court and his case was bound over to District Court, where he is scheduled to be arraigned on June 25.