WSOC-TV is reporting that former CMPD officer Marcus Jackson — fired by the department after his Dec. 30 arrest on rape charges — was suspended for two days in September. The details:
Records show Jackson filed an accident report after another officer was involved in a crash last July. Jackson recorded the officer’s speed at 45 miles-per-hour. One month later, Jackson changed his report, saying the officer was traveling 65 mph. But two different police sources told Eyewitness News the car’s computer revealed it was going at least 75 miles-per-hour at the time of the crash.
When asked about the incident, officials at CMPD said ” in reference to the accident, we cannot comment on internal investigation.”
CMPD is also keeping mum about the department’s response to the restraining orders Jackson, 25, had placed on him by two former girlfriends since 2003. The women claimed Jackson behaved violently towards them. Jackson was hired by CMPD in September 2008.
To recap then, CMPD had an officer which it knew — or should have known — had some past conflicts with women and within a year of his getting his badge is suspended over a profound discrepancy in his account of a police accident. CMPD then puts Jackson back in a patrol car and within weeks he is accused of assaulting a 17-year-old-girl. Something does not quite add up here.
Rodney Monroe became CMPD chief in May 2008. Wonder if City Manager Curt Walton has asked the chief what the hell is going on? Oh, that’s right — the chief does not answer to Curt Walton. He answers to no one.
Bonus Mystery: Gee, which July CMPD traffic accident, WSOC? Kinda an important detail there.
