Officer Suspended After Rape Allegations

[Michaela]

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numSlides of totalImages Baltimore City police suspended one of their own after a woman claims he sexually assaulted her. The victim told police an officer wanted a sexual favor in exchange for not writing her a ticket. Now investigators are looking into whether it was caught on camera. Mike Hellgren has more on the developing investigation.

The accuser claims it started with a traffic stop. Police tell WJZ she called them and said an officer sexually assaulted her last weekend.

Police declined to reveal much, including the exact location, why she was stopped and whether she went to a hospital for treatment.

"There is some intelligence to suggest that a sexual assault took place by the officer to avoid some type of traffic infraction," said Baltimore City Police Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

The officer is 31 and has served three years on the force. No previous Internal Affairs investigations have been lodged against him.

Police are not naming him. WJZ has learned he works in the northeastern district and was on duty when the woman says he assaulted her.

"If consensual, why was it consensual? Was it coerced? Was he using his official authority to coerce the victim?" Guglielmi said.

Police say they're relying on forensic evidence, including testing of any clothing and GPS tracking of the police car. they're also looking into whether any assault was caught on a Citiwatch or red light camera.

"We are resting this case on forensic evidence, because without that, you're going to get into a lot of he said, she said," Guglielmi said.


http://wjz.com/local/police.sex.assualt.2.1814512.html