Tampa police chief resigns after dodging traffic ticket - The Associated Press - en Español

1 year ago 64

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The constabulary main successful Tampa, Florida, resigned Monday aft utilizing her presumption to escape a summons during a postulation stop involving a play cart driven by her husband.

Mary O’Connor submitted her resignation aft an interior affairs reappraisal recovered she violated constabulary section argumentation during the Nov. 12 halt by a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy.

During that halt — which was recorded connected video by the deputy’s assemblage camera — O’Connor identified herself arsenic the Tampa chief, flashed her badge and said “I’m hoping you volition fto america spell tonight.”

The lawman issued lone a verbal informing alternatively of a citation, according to the interior affairs review. The play cart did not person a licence tag, a request for erstwhile specified vehicles are driven connected nationalist streets. O’Connor’s husband, Keith, said they had conscionable travel from a edifice and didn’t usually thrust the cart connected streets.

The interior reappraisal recovered O’Connor violated regulations connected standards of behaviour and “abuse of presumption oregon identification.”

“The Tampa Police Department has a codification of behaviour that includes precocious standards for ethical and nonrecreational behaviour that use to each subordinate of our constabulary force,” Mayor Jane Castor — herself a erstwhile Tampa constabulary main — said successful a connection requesting the resignation. “As the Chief of Police, you are not lone to abide by and enforce those standards but to besides pb by example. That intelligibly did not hap successful this case.”

Castor appointed Lee Bercaw, who was adjunct chief, arsenic acting main portion a nationwide hunt begins. O’Connor served successful the station for astir a year.

Last week, O’Connor issued a connection apologizing for her conduct.

“In hindsight, I recognize however my handling of this substance could beryllium viewed arsenic inappropriate, but that was surely not my intent,” she said.

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