SPD Trainer Under Investigation for Allegedly Assaulting Teen Daughter
Content note: Descriptions of domestic violence throughout.
Jonard Legaspi, a senior officer in SPD’s training unit, is under investigation for allegedly assaulting his 18-year-old daughter in November 2021, according to an internal referral to the Office of Police Accountability.
Legaspi’s daughter told Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) that he restrained her and used his body weight to push her face down in a bed, preventing her from breathing for several seconds at a time. According to the police report, Legaspi weighs roughly 180 lbs. His daughter is 90 lbs.
The purported assault occurred on Nov. 13, 2021, but Legaspi’s daughter didn’t report it to the police until the next day. Responding deputies observed bruising on her shoulder, elbow, and back consistent with her statement.
After interviewing Legaspi and two additional witnesses, an SCSO deputy found probable cause for two felony charges: second-degree DV assault and unlawful imprisonment.
The deputy initially recommended fourth-degree DV assault, a gross misdemeanor, but he upgraded the charges after a witness partially corroborated the daughter’s claims of suffocation, according to a referral filed to the Snohomish County prosecutor’s office.
A friend of Legaspi’s daughter saw the beginning of the argument. The friend continued standing outside the bedroom when Legaspi forced his daughter inside and slammed the door shut.
She said that Legaspi was confronting his daughter about her grades and became “enraged” when she rolled her eyes. Legaspi wrapped his arms around the girl and dragged her to the bedroom. Her friend said she heard Legaspi “slam” his daughter into the bed and moments later heard her scream, “I can’t breathe,” repeatedly.
In a statement, Legaspi disputed his daughter’s account. He claimed he “held her in a hug” and walked her back to his room to talk. Legaspi said he got her to calm down, they spoke briefly, and she left.
The SCSO deputy also interviewed Legaspi’s younger daughter, who overheard portions of the incident but wasn’t a direct witness. Two daughters of Legaspi’s girlfriend were also present but were never interviewed.
Legaspi’s daughter filled out a DV history questionnaire. She reported that her father had previously gotten physical with her and her mother, and she said it was getting “more severe.”
She also said Legaspi had problems with alcohol. He had been drinking the night of the incident and left to go on a drive afterward, she said.
In August 2022, the Snohomish County prosecutor declined to file charges against Legaspi. Most of the decline letter is redacted, but the last few lines imply that Legaspi’s daughter stopped cooperating: “If we receive additional information or the victim changes their mind, we will reconsider filing criminal charges in this case.” This is common in domestic violence cases—especially those involving police.
According to department rosters, Legaspi went on leave shortly after his daughter reported the assault allegations, and he has been on leave ever since. The OPA case (2021OPA-0512) is still active. It was likely paused until the prosecutor made a final decision.
Legaspi was previously investigated for his actions during the 2020 protests. He threw a blast ball at journalist Renee Raketty who was taking photos from a fire escape.
He also used his bike wheel to strike protestors, an untrained tactic, during the demonstration outside the police union headquarters on Labor Day. The OPA did not sustain allegations in either case.