A Redmond police officer accused of pulling a man over and punching him in the face was fired Friday after being on paid leave for nearly two months.

Bend police began investigating officer Robert Charles Stratton, 53, after Bend resident Bradley Allen Thompson reported an assault on April 6.

Thompson, 43, told police Stratton was out of uniform and driving an unmarked police car on Northeast 27th Street near Mountain View High School in the late afternoon. Stratton was driving behind Thompson’s car, started tailgating him and turned on the cruiser’s flashing red and blue lights, Thompson said.

Thompson, whose 9-year-old daughter was in his car, said he pulled over in front of the school.

Stratton came up and started yelling obscenities, then grabbed Thompson and punched him in the mouth, he said.

Thompson reported the confrontation to Bend police, who tracked Stratton down from the license plate number on the unmarked car.

Stratton had worked for the Redmond Police Department for 14 years, according to Chief Lane Roberts. When the incident with Thompson occurred, Stratton was working as a patrol officer assigned to the detectives unit, Roberts said.

When Stratton was placed on paid leave in early April, his monthly salary was $4,483, or $53,796 annually.

Based on the results of an internal investigation, Stratton was fired Friday, Roberts said.

Roberts said he could not give any specific information about Stratton’s dismissal.

Police are finishing a criminal investigation of Stratton, said Detective Sgt. Rex Catt, of the Bend Police Department. Results of the initial investigation have been turned over to Crook County District Attorney Gary Williams, who was brought in as a special prosecutor on the case, Catt said.

Williams could not be reached Tuesday. Criminal charges have not been filed against Stratton, according to court records.

Thompson is not the first motorist to report a run-in with Stratton.

In September 2003, Redmond resident Emery Douglas Redmond reported an incident that resulted in Stratton’s being ticketed for careless driving, according to a report from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Redmond told investigators he was driving south on U.S. Highway 97 near Pleasant Ridge Road when Stratton, driving a white pickup truck, came up fast behind Redmond’s car and started ”tailgating him,” the report states.

Redmond said he was in the passing lane and when an opening came in the slow lane, Stratton pulled around Redmond’s car and cut him off.

Stratton was wearing a police uniform at the time and appeared to be yelling as he passed, Redmond said.

Redmond told police he decided to follow Stratton, and the two ended up at Stratton’s Bend home, where they argued before police arrived.

Stratton admitted to passing Redmond in the slow lane but said Redmond was blocking traffic by driving slower than 55 mph in the passing lane, according to the sheriff’s office report.

Bend police hope to finish their criminal investigation of Stratton within seven to 10 days, Catt said.

Cindy Powers can be reached at 617-7812 or at cpowers@bendbulletin.com.