Montgomery police officer arrested, calls stalking charge 'totally false'
A town of Montgomery police officer was arrested Monday and accused of stalking, which he said is a phony allegation brought by an ex-girlfriend.
State police arrested Kenneth Memmelaar in Montgomery, where he is a part-time officer. Memmelaar, a 53-year-old Goshen resident, faces a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree stalking.
State police said a series of incidents reported to them in Middletown led to the arrest.
"It's totally false allegations," Memmelaar said Tuesday. "I've really just been smudged through the mud. Meanwhile I'm the victim."
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Memmelaar's arrest followed an incident at the shopping center at 78 Brookside Ave. in the village of Chester around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 5, according to a criminal complaint filed in Chester Village Court.
Memmelaar, according to the complaint, "did intentionally and for no legitimate purpose, engage in a course of conduct that caused harm to the victim's mental and emotional health."
He is accused of approaching the woman in the parking lot, which he does not dispute.
"I’m not denying I did see her in ShopRite parking lot," he said. "I went there to go get items. I purchased items. That is not stalking. Running into somebody at the same time in ShopRite parking lot. It was just bad timing that I saw her there."
Memmelaar said he approached the woman, whom he had been in a relationship with for about a year before they recently broke up as things got "toxic," because he saw her in the parking lot and had items of hers in his car that he wanted to return to her.
"She looked at me, she walked away, got in her car and drove off," he said.
According to the complaint, "The victim believes the defendant has been following her around."
Memmelaar's contact with the woman took place after he was told by her and state police to stop contacting her, according to the complaint. State police said in the complaint that video shows Memmelaar waiting in the parking for about 16 minutes to make contact with the woman.
Memmelaar was arraigned in Middletown City Court and released. He is scheduled to appear in Chester Village Court on Sept. 27.
Memmelaar said he has been out on injury leave from the Montgomery Police Department since having knee surgery in April. He said he'll be back to work as soon as the case is resolved.
Montgomery Police Chief John Hank said in a statement "the department is aware of the arrest ... He has not worked for the department since April due to an on-duty injury. Once we were made aware of Mr. Memmelaar‘s arrest he was placed on leave pending an investigation, and stripped of his department issued badge, ID and firearm. The department will continue to cooperate with the State Police and District Attorney’s Office in any way possible."
Memmelaar said he wants to clear his name, which "is mud now."
"It’s a mess," he said. "I just want to get through this and move on with my life and get back to work."
Matt Spillane covers breaking news throughout the Hudson Valley. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpillane.
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This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Montgomery police officer Kenneth Memmelaar arrested in stalking case
