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The city of Cornelius has reached a settlement with a Hillsboro police detective who filed a tort claim alleging a Cornelius lieutenant caused her distress during an after an off-duty road rage incident in 2012.

(Courtesy of the Cornelius Police Department)

The city of Cornelius has reached a settlement with a Hillsboro police detective who alleged that a Cornelius lieutenant caused her distress during and after an off-duty road rage incident in spring 2012.

The city settled the claim for $15,500, according to the agreement, signed March 3. Hillsboro Detective Kari Christensen sent the tort claim notice to the city and Cornelius Police Lt. Joe Noffsinger last July.

"Kari's very happy that it resolved amicably without prolonged litigation," said her attorney Dan Thenell, of Thenell Law Group.

Christensen claimed that Noffsinger, a former assistant chief, caused her distress by pulling her over, getting in her face, shouting at her and later intimidating her during other roadway encounters. The notice said Christensen intended to file suit based on state and federal claims, including defamation, stalking, intentional infliction of emotional distress and unlawful seizure of a person. A tort claim is the first step to filing a lawsuit against a public body in Oregon.

Noffsinger declined to comment and referred inquiries to the city. Chad Jacobs, who serves as city attorney for Cornelius, said the city's insurance carrier will cover the cost of the settlement.

“The only additional comment I would add is to stress that, as set forth in the agreement itself, settling the claim was not an admission of any liability on behalf of the City or any of its employees, but rather was done in the spirit of compromise to resolve these issues and allow all parties to move forward,” Jacobs wrote in an email.

According to documents released to The Oregonian during the past year, Noffsinger and Christensen wrote separate accounts about their initial May 24, 2012, encounter on Forest Grove's 19th Avenue.

Their versions of what occurred on the roadway that day diverge at multiple points, but each describes a heated exchange. Both officers, according to their allegations, drove badly and used their middle fingers at one another on their commutes to work.

After their initial encounter, Christensen documented that she saw Noffsinger in June 2012. She alleged that he drove next to her with no vehicles in front of him, and stared at her, apparently trying to intimidate and harass her. Then in June 2013, she wrote that she suspected Noffsinger had begun following her while she was driving home from work.

Noffsinger has reportedly denied having other encounters with Christensen.

In her tort claim, Christensen alleged Noffsinger caused her distress during the incidents and made her fear for her safety. She alleged that she looked to other officers for protection during her commutes.

In March 2013, Noffsinger complained to Hillsboro police, alleging that Christensen lied in her memo about the incidents. Noffsinger told investigators that he was compelled to make the complaint because of Christensen's characterization of the incident and, in part, to protect his image during a time of turmoil in the Cornelius Police Department.

Hillsboro police determined that Noffsinger's claim was unfounded after he recanted the untruthfulness accusation, documents say, and chalked up the differences in their stories to perception.

Background:

Hillsboro police detective files tort claim against Cornelius lieutenant, city

Road rage incident involving Cornelius, Hillsboro officers outlined in newly released documents

Cornelius police lieutenant claims he disciplined himself under former chief, records say

-- Rebecca Woolington