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Aurora Police officer accused of punching a physically disabled woman resigns under investigation

Douglas Harroun, 32, was booked into jail in January on a charge of third-degree assault against an at-risk adult – a class 5 felony.

AURORA, Colo. — An Aurora police officer has resigned while under investigation as he faces a felony assault charge, 9Wants to Know has learned. Witnesses reported watching him punch a physically disabled woman several times in January.

Sgt. Faith Goodrich, a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department, confirmed Peace Officer Standards and Training records that Douglas Harroun no longer works for the department. She said the internal affairs case is still open, and any findings will be reported to the appropriate entities. 

Harroun's resignation date was Jan. 30.

Harroun, 32, was booked into jail on a charge of third-degree assault against an at-risk adult – a class 5 felony. He was being held on $25,000 cash bail. 

WATCH ABOVE: Reporter Matt Jablow reports on Harroun's arrest

The Aurora Police Department said at the time of the alleged crime, Harroun was on paid administrative leave after shooting and injuring a man while responding to a domestic violence incident Dec. 31.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said the alleged assault happened around 9 p.m. Jan. 11 in the parking lot of the Caliber at Cornerstar Apartments on Briarwood Circle in Aurora.

According to an arrest affidavit, Harroun and his wife were driving back to their apartment, and the victim, a 49-year-old woman, was walking her dog in the middle of the road as they approached their parking garage.

Harroun saw that the victim's dog was not on a leash and had to drive slowly behind the two because they were in the middle of the road, the affidavit says. At one point, the victim stopped walking and turned around to yell at Harroun for following her. The three got into an argument, and Harroun and his wife got out of their car, the affidavit says.

Credit: Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office
Douglas Harroun

The affidavit says witnesses saw Harroun punch the victim in the face. She fell to the ground, and Harroun got on top of her and punched her in the head four or five more times.

The victim went to the hospital with injuries that police said were consistent with what witnesses described.

The affidavit says that during the argument, the victim mentioned she is disabled. Police said she has a chronic neurological condition that affects the left side of her body.

The department said Harroun "was placed on immediate and indefinite suspension without pay."

Harroun was hired by the Aurora Police Department in 2020. At the time of the alleged assault, he was on leave after shooting a man in the lower leg while responding to a domestic violence incident on Dec. 31. 

Reach investigative reporter Zack Newman at 303-548-9044. You can also call or text securely on Signal through that same number. Email: zack.newman@9news.com. Call or text is preferred over email.

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