Tampa’s police chief apologizes for flashing badge during golf cart stop - NBC News

The constabulary main of Tampa, Florida, was placed connected administrative permission aft she flashed her badge to get retired of a halt for traveling successful a play cart without a licence plate, the city's politician said Friday.

Chief Mary O’Connor, who was appointed successful February, has apologized for the Nov. 12 incidental successful Oldsmar, northwest of Tampa, which was captured connected a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy's assemblage camera. The video was released Thursday.

O’Connor was a rider successful a play cart driven by her hubby that night, constabulary said successful a statement.

Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor successful a play cart driven by her hubby successful Oldsmar, northwest of Tampa, connected Nov. 12.Tampa PD via YouTube

The video shows O’Connor inquire the lawman whether his assemblage camera is on, and erstwhile helium responds that it is, she says, “I’m the constabulary main successful Tampa." The lawman asks however she’s doing.

“I’m doing good. I’m hoping that you’ll conscionable fto america spell tonight,” O’Connor says arsenic she opens her badge lawsuit and hands it to her husband, the video shows. The lawman lets them go.

The mates ain spot successful a "golf-cart affable community," O’Connor said successful a connection Thursday. But vehicles extracurricular of residential areas indispensable person licence plates.

She said successful the connection that it was the archetypal clip they had near the assemblage successful the play cart and that it was "poor judgment" to beryllium driving it connected a nationalist roadway without due tags.

O'Connor said she offered to wage immoderate good and apologized to the deputy. "I cognize that nary 1 is supra the law, including me,” she said successful a statement.

Mayor Jane Castor said Thursday that O'Connor "has voluntarily reached retired to the Tampa Police Professional Standards Bureau asking to person the aforesaid subject that immoderate serviceman would person for akin conduct" and that an interior reappraisal is underway.

Castor said Friday that the constabulary main would beryllium connected administrative permission pending the result of an investigation.