Tampa Mayor Jane Castor placed Chief Mary O'Connor on administrative leave Friday pending an investigation of the Nov. 12 traffic stop in Oldsmar, a city northwest of Tampa.
TAMPA, Fla. — The police chief of Tampa has been placed on leave after a video emerged of her flashing her badge from the passenger seat of a golf cart to get out of a traffic ticket.
The body camera video, posted online by the Tampa Police Department, shows O'Connor's husband driving the cart and the chief in the passenger seat when a Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy pulls them over for not having a tag.“I'm hoping that you'll just let us go tonight,” she says, showing the deputy her badge.In a statement, O'Connor said it was “poor judgement” for them to have taken the cart out on public roads without a tag.
“As someone who has dealt with, taken ownership of and grown from my past mistakes, I know that no one is above the law, including me,” she said. The mayor said an internal review is underway. Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw will serve as acting chief. “We hold everyone accountable, no matter their position, and this behavior was unacceptable," Castor said."Chief O’Connor will go through the due process and face appropriate discipline.”
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Tampa police chief on leave after golf cart traffic stopTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The police chief of Tampa has been placed on leave after a video emerged of her flashing her badge from the passenger seat of a golf cart to get out of a traffic ticket. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor placed Chief Mary O'Connor on administrative leave Friday pending an investigation of the Nov.
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Tampa police chief placed on leave after flashing badge during traffic stopAfter confirming that the officer’s body-worn camera was recording, O’Connor pulls out her badge and says, “I’m the police chief of Tampa.”
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Tampa police chief on leave after golf cart traffic stopTampa Mayor Jane Castor placed Chief Mary O'Connor on administrative leave Friday pending an investigation of the Nov. 12 traffic stop in Oldsmar, a city northwest of Tampa.
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Tampa police chief placed on leave after flashing badge during traffic stop | CNNTampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor has been placed on administrative leave after body camera footage taken from a traffic stop last month revealed she told a deputy she was 'hoping that you'll just let us go tonight' and flashed her badge.
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Tampa police chief placed on leave after flashing badge in golf cart traffic stopTampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor and her spouse were riding in a golf cart in Oldsmar, Florida, when they were stopped for not having a license plate.
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