Post by WaTcHeR on Jun 15, 2006 9:53:19 GMT -5
Award-winning Howard officer charged with indecent exposure
06.15.2006 - Howard County - A Howard County grand jury on Wednesday indicted a county police officer on a charge that he exposed himself to a female county employee.
Edward Thatcher, 31, of Pasadena, was charged Wednesday with indecent exposure, causing the Police Department to suspend his police powers.
“He will not have a badge or a gun,” said police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn.
His Columbia attorney, Clarke Ahlers, said that though he had not seen the indictment, which contains little information about the alleged incident, he believed that Thatcher is accused of “exposing himself to a dispatcher on the midnight shift.”
Ahlers criticized the state’s attorney’s decision to pursue a criminal indictment, instead of letting the county’s District Court issue a simple criminal summons.
This is a petty misdemeanor,” Ahlers said. “That isn’t the kind of thing that should require the grand jury to convene and return indictments.”
The investigation into Thatcher’s actions began in April when police received an allegation by a female county employee of indecent exposure. The department immediately launched a criminal investigation and assigned Thatcher to administrative duty, police said.
Detectives turned over their findings June 2 to Howard County’s State’s Attorney’s Office, which brought the case before the grand jury.
As the criminal case proceeds, Thatcher also will face an internal affairs investigation. He will remain an employee of the department in a civilian administrative assignment.
Thatcher was the Howard County Police Department’s officer of the month for March 2005.
06.15.2006 - Howard County - A Howard County grand jury on Wednesday indicted a county police officer on a charge that he exposed himself to a female county employee.
Edward Thatcher, 31, of Pasadena, was charged Wednesday with indecent exposure, causing the Police Department to suspend his police powers.
“He will not have a badge or a gun,” said police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn.
His Columbia attorney, Clarke Ahlers, said that though he had not seen the indictment, which contains little information about the alleged incident, he believed that Thatcher is accused of “exposing himself to a dispatcher on the midnight shift.”
Ahlers criticized the state’s attorney’s decision to pursue a criminal indictment, instead of letting the county’s District Court issue a simple criminal summons.
This is a petty misdemeanor,” Ahlers said. “That isn’t the kind of thing that should require the grand jury to convene and return indictments.”
The investigation into Thatcher’s actions began in April when police received an allegation by a female county employee of indecent exposure. The department immediately launched a criminal investigation and assigned Thatcher to administrative duty, police said.
Detectives turned over their findings June 2 to Howard County’s State’s Attorney’s Office, which brought the case before the grand jury.
As the criminal case proceeds, Thatcher also will face an internal affairs investigation. He will remain an employee of the department in a civilian administrative assignment.
Thatcher was the Howard County Police Department’s officer of the month for March 2005.