Officer responding to 911 call charged with rape

                                    

 A Detroit police officer is accused of raping a woman who had called 911 to report being assaulted by her boyfriend.

Deon Nunlee, 39, was arraigned Friday on second-degree criminal sexual conduct, assault and misconduct charges, according to the Wayne County prosecutor's office.

Prosecutors said in a news release that Nunlee and his partner responded to a domestic disturbance complaint at a home on Detroit's northwest side around 3 a.m. on Oct. 30.

A 31-year-old woman told investigators that after the officers arrived she was taken to an upstairs bedroom by one while the other remained downstairs with her boyfriend. The woman said she was sexually assaulted in the bedroom by the officer, who told her he would return later that morning, prosecutors said.

DNA evidence connected Nunlee to the sexual assault, Police Chief James Craig told reporters Friday afternoon.

"This is the type of misconduct that should never happen," Craig said. "This does not reflect the work the Detroit Police Department does each and every day."

"I would go out and say that I think the majority of the public has a great deal of confidence and faith in this police department," Craig continued. "And people should never lose sight that when we hire police officers we hire from the community, and you all know that there's people in our community that commit crimes. They make bad choices, make bad decisions, and police officers are no different."

Nunlee has been with the police force since 2008. He is suspended without pay and faces an April 17 preliminary examination.

The Associated Press was unable to determine Friday afternoon if Nunlee has an attorney. A telephone number for Nunlee wasn't listed.

Nunlee was not the only Detroit officer to appear on the wrong side of a courtroom in recent days.

Suspended officer Dana Bond was arraigned Tuesday on charges of failing stop at an injury accident, failing to stop at an accident that caused property damage and driving with a high blood alcohol content. Authorities said Bond tried to drive away after Sunday's crash, but struck a snow bank.

Another officer, 46-year-old Johnny Ray Bridges, was charged this week with unlawful imprisonment, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, domestic violence and reckless discharge of a firearm.

A 31-year-old Detroit woman was punched and kicked in the face and body on Tuesday during an argument. At some point during the argument, a handgun was fired into the air. The woman said she escaped by breaking out a window and fleeing to a nearby restaurant.

Bridges was off duty at the time.