Liz Burke, WPRO News

A 15-year Providence police veteran has been fired. At a news conference on Thursday morning, officials say the termination of Khatchig Kazandijian comes after he sexually assaulted a woman in May 2012.

“We believe from the beginning that his behavior was so both outrages and despicable that we move for termination,” says Safety Commissioner Steven Pare.

Police say Kazandijian was responding to a domestic assault call when reportedly had sex with the 19-year-old woman.

“He’s a police officer responding to someone calling for help and he took advantage of that,” says Pare.

 The decision was made last week after a hearing committee took testimony from Kazandijian, the victim and others.

Officials say he has 30 days to appeal his firing. The city is moving to strip him of his pension.