A Hennepin County jury on Thursday found an off-duty Minneapolis police officer guilty of sexually assaulting a 39-year-old woman after a night of drinking.
The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for about seven hours over two days before convicting Thomas Tichich of two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Tichich, 49, did not visibly react as Judge Tamara Garcia read the verdict. He looked away from the jurors as Garcia thanked and excused them. A source familiar with the case said Tichich was fired Thursday. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo said Tichich is no longer with the department, but did not elaborate.
Garcia said the conviction calls for four years in prison under state guidelines. She ordered a pre-sentence investigation, including a psychosexual evaluation. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30.
Tichich's attorney, Peter Wold, asked that Tichich remain free before sentencing but Garcia denied the request, and Hennepin County deputies took Tichich into custody.
Afterward, Wold said via text message that he was "stunned" by the verdict, adding that there was "zero evidence of penetration," referring to accusations Tichich had engaged in oral sex with the sleeping woman, which Tichich denied.
However, County Attorney Mike Freeman said at a post-trial news conference Thursday, there was "evidence of DNA all over her mouth," a reference to DNA residue associated with Tichich on the woman's face.
"We take no joy" in the conviction, Freeman said. "We did our job and the jury did their job and that is how the system is supposed to work." He said his office will ask the judge give Tichich the full four-year sentence.
