Portland Officer Accused of Harassment Resigns

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A Portland police officer accused of harassing woman on a department cell phone has resigned from his job.
Officer Joseph Wild has been jailed awaiting trial on multiple official misconduct and telephone harassment charges. Facing the police chief's recommendation that he be terminated, the 28-year-old Wild resigned Tuesday when he was taken from jail to attend a hearing with Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman at the Portland Police Bureau.
Saltzman had joined Chief Rosie Sizer in recommending Wild's termination after an internal affairs inquiry.
The four-year Portland police veteran is charged with multiple misdemeanor counts, accused of placing sexually harassing calls to women and teenage girls on his police-issued cell phone while on duty. According to court documents, during some calls he threatened to rape the women or told them he wanted to see them naked.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and his trial date has been set for Sept. 14.