Former Arlington Heights police officer pleads guilty to domestic battery

A former Arlington Heights police officer was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation after pleading guilty to domestic battery.

Michael Cowsert, 52, of Inverness, pleaded guilty to one count of the Class A misdemeanor, according to sentencing orders in McHenry County court.

In exchange for his guilty plea, charges of aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, unlawful restraint and three additional counts of domestic battery were dismissed, records show. Had he been convicted of the felony, he could have been sentenced to three to seven years in prison.

He also was ordered to have no contact with the victim named in the complaint, not to consume any illegal drugs, to submit to substance use testing and pay $1,994 in fines and fees, court records show.

Cowsert was accused of grabbing, pushing and holding down a relative Aug. 14, 2022, in Algonquin, where he lived at the time. His actions caused red marks and abrasions and fractured the relative’s hand, according to the indictment.

Cowsert resigned from the Arlington Heights Police Department on Sept. 27, 2022. He had joined the police department as an officer in 1996, Arlington Heights Deputy Police Chief Greg Czernecki said.

Cowsert also is the owner of an accident scene investigation and reconstruction company, according to court records. His attorney declined to comment on the case.