Prosecutor Is Granted Protective Order Against Officer

Harassing Messages Allegedly Sent; He's on Administrative Duty Pending Probe

A Prince George's County prosecutor has obtained a court order against a county police officer she once dated for allegedly contacting her after she asked him not to and for sending what she calls harassing text messages.

Assistant State's Attorney Renee Mortel, 30, obtained what is known as a peace order against Pfc. Michael Soden, 33, according to court papers. Prince George's County District Judge Thurman H. Rhodes issued it March 30.

During the hearing, Soden denied wrongdoing and agreed to stay away from Mortel, said Theresa L. Moore, Mortel's attorney, and Steven E. Sunday, Soden's attorney.

The peace order is effective until July 30. Soden is to stay away from Mortel and not contact her by telephone, writing or any other means, according to the order.

Soden, who had been a patrol officer assigned to District I in Hyattsville, has been placed on administrative duty in District V in Clinton, Sunday said. Police officials have taken Soden's service weapon pending an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the peace order, Sunday said.

Sunday characterized those circumstances as "a bad breakup."

In her petition seeking court protection, Mortel wrote that Soden continued to call her after she asked him Feb. 16 to stop contacting her.

On Feb. 21, Mortel wrote, she sent an e-mail again asking Soden not to contact her.

Four days later, Soden responded by sending her text messages in which he "indicated that I had asked someone to threaten his life," the petition alleges.

On March 5, Mortel wrote, she sent another e-mail asking Soden not to contact her: "He replied right away asking me not to contact him, asking me not to prosecute any of his cases." Three days later, Soden called her at work three times, and she hung up immediately, Mortel wrote.

On March 15, Soden sent her two text messages. According to Mortel's petition, she was called a derogatory name. One message then said, "Stop. Now," and the other said, "See U tonight," according to the petition.

Mortel declined to comment. Soden did not return a call left at the police station where he works or respond to a note left at his home.

State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D) said Mortel prosecutes felony offenses, such as serious assaults. He said she has no pending cases in which Soden is the arresting officer or is a key police witness.

Mortel joined the state's attorney's office in 2003, the same year Soden joined the county police force.

In November, Soden was one of three officers involved in a confrontation in which a suspected armed robber was fatally shot and another was wounded. Soden and the other officers returned fire after one of the suspects fired on them after trying to commit a robbery at a home in College Park, police said.