Post Falls officer charged with domestic battery

POST FALLS — A Post Falls police officer was arrested last week for felony domestic battery and has been placed on paid administrative leave pending investigations.

Aaron L. Ogle, 38, a senior patrol officer who has worked for the department for nearly nine years, was arrested by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office following an interview with detectives at Post Falls City Hall on Sept. 6.

He posted $15,000 bond and was released from the Kootenai County jail the next day after his first appearance.

Ogle is accused of striking his wife's arm on May 17, causing it to bruise, according to court documents and a KCSO report.

"This is something the Post Falls Police Department takes very seriously," PFPD Chief Scot Haug said Tuesday. "We obviously have no tolerance for domestic violence."

After PFPD was informed of the complaint, the case was turned over to the KCSO for investigation, which is standard procedure since it involves a police department employee.

Haug said the KCSO is conducting a criminal investigation while his department is performing an internal administrative investigation. The investigations are independent of each other.

He said the internal investigation should take about two weeks.

"We want to make sure that it's a thorough investigation," he said. "We owe it to the public, the officer and the officer's family, and we'll make a decision based on the facts. We as a law enforcement agency have a duty to be transparent and follow up. The public expects nothing less than to have this investigated."

Ogle, who also owns a karate business, didn't return messages seeking comment on Tuesday.

According to court records, Ogle's wife filed for divorce last Tuesday, the day before he was arrested. They have three children who are minors, according to the KCSO report.

The KCSO report indicates a strained marriage dating back several years and alleges Aaron has a history of anger issues. He was served a no-contact order for a year.

Haug said he has never had to fire an employee due to a violation of the law during his nine years as chief.

The KCSO declined to comment further on the case, citing its pending investigation.

Ogle, who makes $26.64 per hour, has represented PFPD at community events with his police motorcycle.