Prosecutors on Thursday afternoon filed felony charges against a Portland police officer accused of threatening the boyfriend of his estranged wife with a gun.
James A. Botaitis, 38, of Yacolt was charged with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree burglary and harassment.
He will be arraigned Friday morning on the charges.
Botaitis is accused of going to the Vancouver apartment of his wife, entering and accosting her new boyfriend, David Bacus, a Level 2 registered sex offender. He allegedly pointed a gun at Bacus and ordered him down to the ground, according to court documents. Police said he threatened to kill him.
James Botaitis is in the process of divorcing his wife. The couple have a 7-year-old son; a court parenting plan ordered Bacus to not have any contact with the boy because he is a sex offender.
Botaitis, a 10-year veteran with the Portland Police Bureau, was placed on paid administrative leave and surrendered his police-related powers. He is free on $100,000 bail.
