Former Fla. officer accused of using police database for dates, sex
By: Carlos R. Munoz, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
BRADENTON,Fla. — Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan said on Thursday that a former sergeant’s actions have cast a “dark shadow” on the police profession and have betrayed the trust of the police department and the people of Bradenton.
A citizen’s complaint led the police chief to open an internal affairs investigation into former sergeant Leonel Marines, who used agency resources to pursue dates and is now the subject of an FBI investigation.
“When our officers first put on the badge, they take an oath to conduct themselves with the highest moral integrity and to build and ensure the public trust,” Bevan said at a press conference Thursday. “Unfortunately, we discovered an employee who has since resigned, who betrayed the trust of this department and the citizens of Bradenton, and who failed to uphold the standards that I strictly enforce.”
