A Kirkland firefighter with a history of domestic violence is now accused of assaulting his girlfriend whom he has already been convicted of assaulting, according to King County prosecutors. The complaint comes on the heels of another firefighter being involved in a prostitution ring, which resulted in the arrest and conviction of a gang member.

Patrick Richard McManus is facing charges of domestic violence for allegedly assaulting his long-time girlfriend in February at his home in Ravensdale.

The altercation began when his girlfriend confronted him about an alleged secret online dating profile on Match.com. The woman found the profile while using his iPad. Because McManus’ 16-year-old daughter was in the house, they decided to take the dispute upstairs, according to the King County Sheriff deputy’s report. In the bedroom, she allegedly requested to read the conversations he had with the women aloud. She told a deputy that McManus became violent. He grabbed her by the front of her neck and dumped a can of Pepsi on her head. He then allegedly pulled her off the bed, pinning her down and placing a knee on her back to the point where she had trouble breathing. McManus then continued to pour Pepsi over her head, according to sheriff’s report.

When she told McManus she had trouble breathing he allegedly let go and began to apologize, though he allegedly blamed the whole incident on her. After reassuring him she would forgive him, she contacted police after telling him she was going to get coffee. While she was gone, McManus called her and sent several text messages, though none of them were threatening in any way, according to the deputy’s report.

When deputies arrived at McManus’ home he had left but his daughter was still there. When questioned, his daughter allegedly told the deputy that it hadn’t been a “bad fight,” albeit she admitted she hadn’t seen what occurred. When McManus’ daughter attempted to call him to get him to come home, he didn’t respond. McManus’ daughter allegedly also told the deputy that her father had left to look for his girlfriend and told her to turn the lights off in the house because the police might show up.

A search in the bedroom upstairs showed no sign of soda being spilled.

“When the Kirkland Fire Department learned of the charges filed against firefighter McManus, it placed the employee on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation,” Kirkland Fire Department Chief Kevin Nalder said. “The department’s investigation is in process.”

McManus has had several prior convictions and other legal troubles. In 2001, McManus was convicted of malicious mischief and sentenced to 365 days in jail, with 365 days suspended. He was also fined $5,000, with $4,750 suspended.

In 2009, McManus was found guilty of domestic violence after he choked his girlfriend by placing both of his hands around her neck and continued to hold her down by placing one of his knees in the area of her hips, according to the police report. The victim said he choked her so hard she could barely breathe for three minutes and she believed he would kill her.

McManus served two days in jail for that crime, was given 24 months of probation, and ordered to complete a domestic violence treatment program.

In a subsequent evaluation by Aby and Associates, a domestic violence intervention program, a licensed mental health counselor stated that McManus was “an extreme risk to the victim and/or community.”

“This client has had multiple domestic violence arrests across three different relationships ranging from malicious mischief to assault,” the counselor wrote. “He has completed a previous domestic violence intervention program, yet reoffended.”

Back in 1999, McManus was accused of fourth-degree assault for allegedly grabbing his then-wife by the coat, spinning her around and throwing her to the ground in front of their two young children. That case was dismissed.

McManus has had four restraining orders filed against him, according to King County charging documents.

In 2013, McManus was put on probation with the state Department of Health after he answered “no” when asked if he had ever been convicted of a crime on his application to renew his Emergency Technician certification. As a result of the DOH investigation launched in 2011, the city demoted McManus to the rank of firefighter 5 at the end of his one-year probation as lieutenant in February 2012.

In 2013, the city of Kirkland suspended him for 48 hours without pay for allegedly secretly recording a private meeting with Kirkland City Manager Kurt Triplett.

It is illegal in Washington state to tape record someone without their knowledge.