A Florida police officer was suspended for allegedly allowing an arrested couple to smoke a cigarette and perform sex acts in the backseat of his patrol car while the officer played Barry White’s notoriously sexy tune, Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe.
The Fort Pierce Police Department said it suspended officer Doug McNeal for 20 days without pay, stating he violated several policies during the July 14 arrest that was captured on camera.
According to WPTV News, McNeal arrested the couple on shoplifting charges following an incident inside a Walmart last summer. Authorities said Zachery Moellendick, 23, and Krista Leigh, 24, were placed in the backseat of the patrol car; the man wasn’t in handcuffs, and the pair was not wearing seatbelts.
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Video shows Moellendick having a cigarette before getting in the cruiser unrestrained. The couple is then seen cuddling, kissing and performing sex acts on each other while Barry White and other artists play on the car’s radio. The officer then allowed the arrested couple to smoke in the backseat while he completed paperwork, WPTV reported.
McNeal told an internal affairs detective that he saw the couple kissing and “was fine with it,” but denied seeing any sexual activity, Florida Today reported, citing the investigation report.
The officer violated several policies, including authorized restraint, detainee transport operations, special transport situations and use of tobacco products, reported WPTV News.
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Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney said in a statement the officer accepted full responsibility for his actions and “understands the seriousness of the policy violations.”
“The conduct of this officer does not represent the values of this department or the dedicated men and women who serve our community with honour every day,” the police chief said.
McNeal was suspended from duty on Feb. 14 — ironically a day known for celebrating love.
–with a file from the Associated Press
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