MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman when he was off duty.

Forty-nine-year-old Thomas Tichich was convicted in April of two counts of third-degree sexual assault. He was fired hours after the verdict.

The incident happened in December 2016.

Tichich was accused of forcing oral sex on the woman while she was sleeping after she had had too much to drink. The woman testified at trial that she was unaware of what happened and didn’t consent to have sex with Tichich. But he said the two planned to have consensual sex that was interrupted by the woman’s friend.

Tichich will be eligible for parole after 32 months.

Tichich’s attorney said he plans to appeal.