UPDATE: Brian Woodard was fired following a disciplinary hearing Monday.
Decommissioned MNPD officer Brian Woodard surrendered himself this evening on a grand jury indictment issued earlier today charging him with one count of sexual battery for allegedly inappropriately touching a woman last July 31 while watching a movie off-duty at the Belcourt Theater.
Woodard, 36, is accused of touching the left buttock of a 21-year-old woman seated on the same row as him (they were separated by an empty seat) as she leaned over to her right. Woodard was identified as the suspect in the case a few days later due to his membership at the Belcourt and the physical description provided by the 21-year-old and her fiancé. Woodard was decommissioned in early August as a result of the criminal investigation by MNPD Sex Crimes detectives. He also faces a departmental disciplinary hearing on Monday.
Woodard’s bond on the sexual battery charge, a Class E felony, was set by a Criminal Court judge at $10,000.
Woodard is a 10-year police department veteran and was last assigned to the North Precinct.
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Officer Brian Woodard