A San Diego police officer, Seth Tate, aged 33, has been convicted of domestic battery against his ex-girlfriend after a jury found him guilty on one count this past week.
The incidents that led to his arrest in March 2024 involved multiple allegations of domestic violence occurring during a brief relationship with the woman, which lasted only a few months.
Tate had served in the San Diego Police Department for nearly three years before the charges arose.
While Tate was found guilty of the single domestic battery charge, jurors acquitted him of two other counts.
They were unable to reach a verdict on two additional domestic violence allegations, leaving open the possibility of a retrial on those counts.
During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Carlos Campbell painted a picture of Tate as a jealous and volatile individual, recounting instances of physical aggression documented during the relationship.
Campbell described incidents where Tate allegedly kicked his ex-girlfriend and forcefully grabbed her arms, resulting in noticeable bruising.
A particularly alarming incident involved the couple traveling in an Uber, where Tate allegedly grabbed the woman by her hair and slammed her head against the car’s window.
The ex-girlfriend testified, revealing how Tate’s mood could change rapidly and how his jealousy manifested whenever she was around other men.
Despite recognizing the troubling nature of his behavior, the woman stated, “I excused it because he was a cop. He’s a good guy.”
The prosecution also indicated that Tate’s history extended beyond this relationship, referencing an earlier incident where he had pushed his fiancée while she was on a staircase, prompting her immediate decision to end their engagement and contact law enforcement.
Tate’s defense attorney, Sean Jones, contested the prosecution’s assertions, arguing that the investigation into Tate’s actions deviated from standard protocol.
According to Jones, the San Diego police did not seek Tate’s account of events prior to making the arrest.
In contrast, when allegations from Tate’s fiancé were brought forward, the investigation involved questioning both parties, resulting in no prosecution.
Jones urged jurors to consider the absence of corroborating witnesses for most of the allegations, claiming that only the Uber incident had others present who could potentially validate the woman’s claims.
However, he noted that those witnesses did not support her version of events when interrogated by authorities.
The defense also argued that both Tate and his ex-girlfriend engaged in physical altercations with one another, alleging that in numerous instances, he was simply trying to restrain her to prevent her from attacking him.
As a result, Tate’s conviction on the single domestic battery charge and the unresolved status of the other counts of domestic violence present a complex legal situation that continues to unfold.
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