Child abuse charges dropped against Loveland police officer

The case against Loveland Police Officer Wilbert Howard has been dropped, according to the Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Howard had been arrested and accused of second-degree assault and child abuse in November 2023. 
The DA’s office told CBS News Colorado that a Fort Collins Police Services investigation was presented to the DA with probable cause. Over the past 10 months, investigators said the primary concern was “that the victim’s retelling changed to almost identically match Mr. Howard’s description of the incident.”
That led the DA’s office to determine there was not a reasonable likelihood that Howard would be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury. 
Howard had been accused of assaulting his child over an argument about their school performance. He had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges. 
“Mr. Howard maintained his innocence throughout this process and believed firmly that he would have prevailed at trial,” Howard’s attorney said in an email statement. “He will never get the time back that he spent fighting to prove his innocence, but knows that the right conclusion was reached. Mr. Howard is looking forward to returning to his life as it existed before this process started, both personally and professionally.”
A hearing to determine if the case will be sealed and expunged from his criminal record is scheduled for Sept. 19.