California police officer accused of stealing money from man during arrest
06/08/2023 5:47 pm PDT
SAN FERNANDO, Calif. (TCD) -- A 37-year-old police officer stands accused of stealing money from a man during an arrest in 2022.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday, June 8, that his office is charging San Fernando Police Officer Jeffrey King with one felony count each of second-degree robbery and extortion, and one misdemeanor count of petty theft. The warrant for the case was filed on June 6.
On June 21, 2022, King responded to a home in San Fernando to a report of domestic violence, where he arrested a suspect. According to the District Attorney’s Office, the suspect was released from jail on June 23, and he "reported that he was missing money that he had in his pocket during the arrest."
The District Attorney’s Office alleges that King "took cellphones and cash" from the suspect’s pockets during his arrest. He reportedly gave the cellphones to a supervisor, but he never turned over the cash into evidence, nor did he give the money back to the suspect.
The District Attorney’s Office did not disclose how much money was stolen from the domestic violence suspect.
King’s arraignment will be scheduled at a later date.
Gascón said, "Law enforcement officers take an oath to uphold the law, not to break it. Maintaining integrity is a fundamental principle of law enforcement and stealing personal belongings during an arrest is a clear violation of that trust."
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