A Fairfield County deputy faced a felony charge after he was accused of abducting a woman.
Jeff Thimmes said that he was putting equipment away at the Orange Carpet Lounge, in Lancaster, when he witnessed off-duty deputy Jeffrey Sarensen arguing with a woman.
“She said, ‘Get him off of me,’” Thimmes said. “I went between them.”
Thimmes said that he told the victim, whose identity was not released, to go inside the bar and wait for help.
Thimmes said that Sarensen claimed to be an officer on official business.
“He presented his badge and presented his handcuffs and said that he wanted to go in the bar and arrest her,” Thimmes said.
Police said that the altercation started a few miles away from the bar. According to investigators, the victim called Sarensen earlier in the evening to pick her up at the Bern Station nightclub.
Sarensen allegedly told the victim to follow him home in her car. Once there, a police report said that Sarensen took the victim’s keys. He said he took the keys to prevent her from driving drunk.
The deputy allegedly bear hugged the victim twice and kicked her in the stomach. Police said that the victim was able to use a backdoor to escape.
Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen said that he was taking the charges seriously.
“He is on paid administrative leave,” Phalen said. “We have his badge, his firearm and his police credentials.”
The deputy faces felony abduction and domestic violence charges. The victim was cited for underage drinking.
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