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A police officer in Northern Westchester has been charged with sexual abuse, stalking and burglary of a woman he was investigating.
Michael Agovino, an officer with the Peekskill Police Department who lives in Rockland County, was placed on administrative leave until further notice after his arrest on Saturday, Feb. 16.
"The City of Peekskill Police Department is fully cooperating with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office's investigation into these allegations," the department said in a statement.
Agovino was arraigned Saturday at Peekskill City Court and is being held at the Westchester County Jail on $100,000 bond.
In a statement, Peekskill Mayor André Rainey called the arrest "an embarrassment to our police department and our entire city as a whole."
"This behavior makes me sick and is intolerable. It was completely inappropriate and clearly unprofessional. There is no situation where this type of behavior is acceptable.
"We read and hear stories of police officers all over the world and we pray it never comes this close to our city and our community.
"This is a terrifying situation, beyond upsetting, especially with all the great news coming out of our city lately.
"In Peekskill, we expect our employees, in law enforcement especially, to maintain their professionalism and proper training at all times. We expect them to protect and respect, not take advantage of and intimidate."
Rainey said a community meeting will be held after the investigation to "allow our chief of police to answer questions."
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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