Ex-Rota cop gets 9 months in prison

A former Rota police officer arrested in July for domestic violence and in August for violating a court order of protection and for breaking several times into an apartment on Saipan has pleaded guilty and was slapped with a nine-month prison term.

Dennis Atalig Taisacan pleaded guilty to assault and battery (domestic violence) and violation of court’s order of protection as part of a plea deal.

He signed the plea deal on Monday, the day of his scheduled bench trial.

Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho sentenced Taisacan to two years in prison, all suspended except for nine months, with credit for 83 days of time served.

After serving his sentence, Taisacan will be on probation for two years. He was required to pay a $500 fine plus $25 in court cost and restitution.

Taisacan was ordered to attend alcohol counseling and batterer’s intervention. He is prohibited from possessing any firearms and using any alcoholic He was required to complete 100 hours of community service.

The Office of the Attorney General charged Taisacan last July 18 with assault and battery (domestic violence) and disturbing the peace.

The OAG then charged Taisacan last Aug. 29 with violation of order of protection, disturbing the peace, and criminal trespass.

Taisacan pleaded guilty to assault and battery and violation of order for protection. The other charges were dropped. His lawyer in the case is Matthew Gregory.

Taisacan hit his wife in the head with a butane gas canister last July 10 on Saipan.

Also, despite a court order that directed him to stay away from his wife, Taisacan contacted her. She filed the petition on July 20, 2016.

Police detective Peter A. Aldan revealed in his report that it was former Saipan police officer Victor Val Hocog who posted bail for Taisacan in his previous domestic violence case.

Aldan said Hocog called the Department of Public Safety last Aug. 17 at 3:33pm about a disturbance at his apartment unit.

Two police officers responded to the apartment, where they met Hocog, who complained that he had caught Taisacan numerous times trying to enter his unit through the sliding door.

Taisacan allegedly had assumed that Hocog had been sleeping with his wife and that she was in his apartment.

That same day, police arrested Taisacan for disturbing the peace and violating a court’s order of protection.

Aldan also disclosed that last Aug. 11, Taisacan’s wife called 911 and asked for police’s assistance after Taisacan appeared at her house in violation of court’s protection order and even asked $10 from her.

Two police officers responded to the house, but Taisacan was no longer there.

In the domestic violence case, police arrested Taisacan for allegedly slapping his wife and hitting her on the head with a butane gas canister at their residence in As Gonno, Saipan.

Aldan stated in his report that it was Taisacan’s 17-year-old son, who reported that his father was beating up his mother.

Aldan said investigation showed that prior to the beating, the defendant had been drinking liquor that afternoon.