RICHMOND -- A Walnut Creek police officer was arrested earlier this month on allegations that he donned a mask and attacked a woman with a bat while she was walking early in the morning.
Officer Gregory Thompson, 53, a Martinez resident, was booked Aug. 16 on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and felony vandalism, police said. He was released on an undisclosed bail and is on leave from the department.
Barry Grove, a Contra Costa County prosecutor, said the district attorney's office is reviewing whether to file criminal charges. He said a decision is expected next week.
The alleged incident was reported at about 2 a.m. Aug. 16 in the 4000 block of Clinton Avenue in Richmond. Police received several 911 calls about a woman screaming and a possible masked man armed with a bat, said Richmond police Capt. Bisa French.
When police arrived, a witness pointed to a vehicle where the suspect apparently retreated. Police found Thompson in the car along with a bat, a mask and two guns, French said. Police did not identify the type of mask or guns, or say if either of the guns was Thompson's service weapon.
Thompson also had wrist restraints in the car, police said. French noted that officers often carry restraints along with their other work gear.
Thompson identified himself as a police officer. While police were talking to Thompson, the alleged victim emerged from some bushes where she was hiding.
The woman told police she had run out of gas and was walking for assistance when she was attacked. The attacker also allegedly pounded the victim's car with the bat.
The woman was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries from the bat blows, French said. She said Friday that the woman was expected to recover fully. Her age and city of residence were not available. The woman and Thompson apparently didn't know one another, French added.
Police were unable to locate a second woman who reportedly intervened to help the first. The second woman might also have been injured.
"We are aware of the arrest of one of our officers by the Richmond Police Department and are monitoring the situation very closely," Walnut Creek Police Chief Tom Chaplin said Friday. "We are very concerned about the arrest and will thoroughly investigate this matter."
Walnut Creek police Capt. Mark Perlite said in a statement that Thompson was a 30-year veteran of the department who was most recently assigned to the patrol division. Richmond police contacted the Walnut Creek police department on the day of the arrest, and Thompson was immediately placed on paid administrative leave.
Thompson could not be reached for comment. According to French, a home for sale in the Richmond neighborhood apparently belongs to Thompson's family.