SEATTLE -- A Seattle police officer, currently on paid leave after shooting a man during an off-duty scuffle, has repeatedly been in trouble before.

KIRO Team 7 Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne joins us with new questions about how the officer got hired in the first place.

We've been looking into the background of Seattle police officer Zsolt Dornay. Court records show as a juvenile, Dornay had convictions for trespass and theft. Another time, as an adult, he was arrested for attempting to elude police. All that occurred before Seattle police hired him. His record since being on the force includes allegations of unnecessary force.

Frankie Thong says he's earned the right to fear Seattle police officer Zsolt Dornay. In 1995, Thong was heading to work when he noticed an angry driver next to him on the interstate.

It was Dornay -- a rookie cop, off-duty, in civilian clothes and in his own car.

An internal affairs disciplinary report says Dornay "twice displayed an obscene gesture with his middle finger," then followed Thong to work, "pointed his gun at him, directed profanity towards him and physically forced Thong to the ground."

KIRO Team 7 Investigators tracked down Thong, who has not talked publicly about the incident until now.

Halsne: "It (the SPD report) says he 'held his gun to your face and rubbed your face against the ground with the other.' Did he have his gun up to your head?"
Thong: "Yes, he did. He got his gun poking my head when it was down. He kept pointing his gun, like, poking, tapping my head. It hurt, you know. A gun is metal and my head is nothing but bone. He kept attacking it and said I lied."
Halsne: "He's got a loaded gun right to your head?"
Thong: "I think it's loaded. He can blow my brains out that morning."

According to an SPD disciplinary report, Dornay used unnecessary force against Thong and lost 15 vacation days for "Conduct Unbecoming an Officer."

An exclusive KIRO Team 7 Investigation found Dornay not only remained on the force, but became a member of the elite Anti-Crime Team.

His reputation as a tough cop even showcased itself on KIRO-TV. A few years ago, his bandaged, bloodied face appeared in an interview after he chased down a criminal suspect.

Dornay isn't quite as talkative today, deferring all questions to his attorney. He's under investigation for a June 25 shooting in the Post Alley nightclub district. While off duty, in civilian clothes, records show Dornay got into some sort of verbal and physical confrontation.

It ended with Dornay allegedly shooting a local attorney three times with his service weapon.

In a statement released to KIRO Team 7 Investigators, Dornay's attorney (Ted Buck of Stafford, Frey, Cooper, P.C.) says that was because his client was getting assaulted by at least three guys.

"The simple fact of the matter is if Zsolt has not been (1) sober, and (2) a police officer that night in Post Alley, he would likely have been kicked to death."

"Zsolt was merely defending himself from a brutal attack."

Seattle Police Deputy Chief John Diaz says it will be several more weeks before the investigation into the Alley shooting is done. Kent police detectives have taken over the case from Seattle to avoid conflicts.

Diaz told KIRO Team 7 Investigators this week, "In this case, because it was an off-duty incident, and the nature of the complaint, we felt, the chief felt, that we should have a third party look at it."

But in the meantime, Deputy Chief Diaz says he has reviewed Dornay's personnel file. He cannot find any mention of Dornay's juvenile crime records or of the attempting to elude police arrest. In fact, Dornay's original applications for employment are not there either.

"I see nothing in the file that actually shows that. I'm not sure it was there or not, but there is certainly nothing that shows or I see that indicates that," says Diaz.

Seattle police have recently changed policies on document retention in personnel files to avoid gaps in an officer's work history and keep better track of citizen complaints.

Frankie Thong says when it comes to Seattle police officer Zsolt Dornay, there should already be enough documentation to take action.

Thong told Halsne, "I think the state needs to kick him out of a job, not let him be a cop anymore."

On top of what we just reported, there is another allegation of unnecessary force levied against Dornay. A 2003 civil lawsuit, filed in federal court, accuses Dornay (and other officers) of using excessive force to arrest a homeless man. That case is scheduled for trial later this year.