A cop threw his body camera into a lake to cover up that he was having sex in his patrol car, according to authorities.
Samuel Marcum from the Lake Royale Police Department in North Carolina was fired and arrested on Wednesday for the alleged offense, WRAL News reported.
Marcum was accused of tossing his body camera into Lake Royale so he wouldn’t get caught having sex inside his patrol car with his girlfriend while on duty, according to WRAL News, which cited official records.
After initially telling his colleagues he had lost his body camera during an ice storm, Marcum admitted Saturday that he had thrown it into the lake because he feared disciplinary consequences, according to official records.
Marcum has been charged with obstruction of justice, making false official statements, injury to personal property and conduct unbecoming of a police officer.
The Independent has reached out to the Lake Royale Police Department for comment. It was not immediately clear whether Marcum had legal representation.
Police wear body cameras to promote transparency and accountability and they are often used as evidence in officer-involved cases. The footage collected by body cameras can also be used to scrutinize police work.
Body camera footage and video from witnesses showing police in Fairfield, California, breaking up a high school fight on May 20 recently sparked backlash.
One cop was seen in the footage escorting a student into an office while attempting to detain another, according to ABC 7 Bay Area.
The officer then tried to walk the second student away, but things escalated, and several other cops had to step in, the footage shows.
Police said the second student, whom they were trying to handcuff in the videos, showed “aggressive behaviors” and had hit an officer earlier, ABC 7 Bay Area reported.
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