Retired Rochester police officer threatened violence, shootout toward OP woman

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A retired Rochester police officer pleaded guilty Tuesday night to one count of second-degree harassment after he was accused of sending threats to physically hurt an Orchard Park woman he was previously in a relationship with.

WIVB News 4 obtained the police report in connection to the harassment case against 58-year-old Michael Tymoch of Spencerport, who retired earlier this year after 31 years on the force.

Tuesday night marked the end of a case that stretches back to last year.

The police report said according to the victim, Tymoch "lost his mind," threatened that "she will see psycho," and that he was "coming to her house." When the victim stated "she is going to call the police, he said he didn't care and that he will get into a shootout," the report said.

The police report also said there was prior domestic violence between the two.

"This ended in a non-criminal disposition, there was no crime committed and so Mr. Tymoch just wanted to get on with his life and start a new job and wanted this to be over with," said defense attorney Joseph Marusak. "What transpired in the exchange of text messages did not amount -- in my opinion based upon all the research that I've done -- did not amount to a crime."

Advocates against domestic violence aren't so quick to turn the page. They said it's important to talk about the issue.

"The stats still say it's one in four women, it's one in seven men," said Tiffany Pavone of the Family Justice Center. "When you look at our young teenage girls between the ages of 18 and 23, it's one in three have experienced some form of dating or domestic violence."

Some warning signs include isolating the victim from others, controlling their finances and discouraging them from being independent.

"That's what domestic violence is, it's all about power and control, one person trying to have complete power and control over another person's life," Pavone said.

If you're in fear of your safety, call 911. There are local organizations that can help you come up with a safety plan.

"There's always hope we're here to help," said Ava Thomas, director of operations at the Family Justice Center. "We always let survivors know, trust your gut. If you're feeling like things are escalating, which can happen especially around this time of year with the holidays, there's a lot of drinking and family gatherings, if you're feeling that something is off, you can link with us."

Tymoch has been decertified as a police officer in New York state. He received a one-year conditional discharge and he has to stay away from the victim.

Reach Haven House's 24/7 hotline at (716) 884-6000.

Help is also available through the BE SAFE Domestic Violence Victim Academy Program. For more information, call (716) 858-4630 or click here.