Police officers see all sorts of things on the job––including from some of their own. What happens when those who've been tasked with protecting and serving their communities end up on the other side of the law?
After Redditor thefakejeff asked the online community, "Police officers who have arrested other police officers: What's the story?" police officers, those with experience in law enforcement, and others close to them shared their stories.
Warning: Some sensitive material ahead.
"From what I remember..."
My dad was the arresting officer of an undercover narcotics detective for the murder of two fellow officers. From what I remember the two officers and a technician caught him by surprise while he was stealing from an evidence room, he shot the two officers first and his firearm jammed so the technician escaped. The detective got life in prison and died there.
"Everyone is pretty drunk..."
The probationary officer goes on a blind double date with his roommate. Been at the race track drinking, so they take the train downtown. Everyone is pretty drunk, him in particular. Maybe to entertain or show-off for his date, he is acting goofy. As everyone is getting off the train, he sees 'some guy' bent over tying his shoes. Rocket scientist decides to 'leapfrog' over the guy, only neither of them have much balance.
Probationary cop basically jumps over/on the guy and drives his face straight into the pavement because he is too drunk and the guy wasn't expecting it. Everyone jumps up and he starts trying to diffuse the situation he just caused.
Turns out 'the guy' is a 17-year-old kid heading down to spend the weekend with his grandparents and has two broken teeth and a broken nose. The drunk cop starts saying stuff like, 'It's ok, it will be fine, I'm a cop, it's all good'. When he realizes the crowd isn't going to let him just walk away, he bails and tries to run off. A few guys chase him down and grab him. Cops get called and detain him. I was the on-call Detective who was called out at 2230 to handle the case. He refused to answer any questions and was booked in for felony battery (based on the extent of injuries and age of the victim). He never made it off probation and resigned.
"The next shift..."
Not me, but my dad who was a cop. He was still working as a full-time cop before switching full time to firefighting and made a traffic stop around 11 at night back in the mid-80s. Nicer car, speeding well over the speed limit so my dad initiates a stop. Before he is out of his cruiser the driver has what looks like a badge hanging out of the window.
My dad walks up, does the usual song and dance and the driver said, "You obviously can't f****** see who I am...". My dad says, "Yes, Lieutenant Colonel, I do and right now I'm conducting a traffic stop.". Turns out the driver was a lt. Colonel in the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which is pretty high up in their rank structure. My dad again asks him for a license and insurance and the guy goes off.
Threatening to call "Dick" as in Dick Celeste who was governor at the time and threatening his job, that he was just trying to get back to Columbus after an "engagement" and so on. Eventually, he calls for back up and has another officer there to witness what was going on. Eventually, my dad writes him a ticket and while still screaming, Mr. Pullingrank drives away.
The next shift my dad gets called in by his assistant chief and is asked about the stop and apparently, the Colonel of OSHP was calling him about it. In the end they had to bring in the other officer to write a statement of what went on and in the end nothing came of it, except the ticket wasn't contested and paid.
"When I was working at the jail..."
Former police officer and correctional officer here. I never actually arrested a fellow cop myself, however:
-My field training officer was arrested and fired from my former PD twice for drunken disorderly. (before I worked there). He got his job back twice through union arbitration and, to his credit, gave up drinking.
-When I was working at the jail, we had a cop who was put into protective custody/suicide watch after being arrested for stalking a woman he met on a call. He got obsessed with her and kept bothering her after the fact and after she reported him, he made threats against her.
-We had seven officers at the jail beat a disabled inmate and then lie about it on their reports. The shift commander then tried to erase the video. All were fired and arrested but were later acquitted of all charges. Sad thing was, they were all guilty as hell.
"Next..."
I actually have had to arrest 3 separate members of the justice system this year.
First, a practicing lawyer and former judge who had been utilizing his position to coerce sex from defendants. He utilized this leverage even after he was not a judge anymore. Investigation by DCI revealed he had about a dozen victims, so a warrant for his arrest was made which I executed. Arresting a guy you used to put defendants in front of is a very odd feeling. He weaseled out of prison time and got it all suspended and put on a direct supervision probation program. Absolute horse sh!t, I've seen guys do way less get way more time, but its not really a secret that money has a habit of tipping the scales of justice.
Next was a prison guard who strangled his girlfriend, then stalked her relentlessly. I actually arrested him twice because after he posted bail on the first one he was spotted lurking outside her home only 45 minutes after being released. He's currently in on felony assault, strangulation of a household member, and felony violation of a protection order. He's still in my jail awaiting trial with a bail that has been substantially increased. I'm anticipating prison time for him, but only time will tell.
Third was a city police officer (I'm a County Deputy Sheriff) because we received a call from a 6-year-old that his dad was in the garage doing drugs and wouldn't come out. Showed up to find 4 very young kids running around unsupervised. It was a city Police Officer smoking meth that he had confiscated during a traffic stop and not reported or turned in to evidence. DCI took the case from us due to a potential conflict of interest and has placed him in another county's jail and I haven't heard any more about it. Hope he does time too. What kinda man leaves his little kids totally alone and unsupervised while they smoke meth? ESPECIALLY when said person is a f****** cop. Unforgivable in my opinion.
But yeah. 2020 has been a very strange year for me.
"He worked..."
Locked up one for a DUI. Dude was passed out in his car at a red light. He worked for my department. I knew him but not too well. Came up to me and apologized a few months later which I didn't expect.
"Walked in..."
Get a call one night about a domestic. Upon arrival, this woman was bleeding heavily from her face. Said her boyfriend was a cop and he was in the next room. We talked to him and he tells us how she deserved it. Had to use force on him and get him in custody. Guy had close to 8 years on, fired on the spot by IAD when they arrived. I have no sympathy for women beaters.
2009. I've got a background in law enforcement so as an Army Officer recovering from combat injuries I found myself as the operations officer for a post/base DES/Department of Emergency Services which included the MPs and law enforcement for the post/base. My office was across the haul from the actual MP director's office. He stepped in and asked how busy I was. I was busy but wanted any excuse to get away from the monotonous bs I was working on so I said "F*** it what do you need sir?"
He was handling a case personally and wanted another Officer as witness in documentation and processing. An officer's wife had been convinced to come in by a couple of other officers' wives. She was a battered mess. Face was swollen and even though she had cleaned herself up she was hard to look at without just getting pissed.
Female officers of course did the actual inspections and physical documentation but the Director was running the investigation himself. He had called the officer in off patrol and confronted him with me present as witness. Dude tried joking off that he had just gotten drunk and a little out of control.
Long 8ish month story shortened, his case was transferred to a civilian police department for her good. Not from reprisals or anything, for benefits. He was convicted of DV which put him out of the MPs and lost him his ability to own/carry a firearm so he was also discharged from the military losing his career. I believe he also served some time in a civilian jail but not 100% sure. She was granted a divorce and because we sent it to a civilian court and he was not court-martialed she still got to keep the divorced spouse married for over 10 years benefits for her and the kids instead of losing all benefits. (Which is why it was transferred to a civilian department.)
I really liked that Director, he did not tolerate BS from among his officers.
"Can't go into much detail..."
Can't go into much detail but had to book an officer in for taking his female roommate's phone and sending her nudes to his own phone. He then threatened to leak them unless she did sexual favors for him but she called it in instead.
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