Last Updated on: 6th December 2022, 11:00 am
Who is Mary O’Connor? Biography, Wiki
Mary O’Connor, the police chief in Tampa, Fla., resigned after body camera footage caught her using her range to evade a police check for driving a golf cart without a permit.
She tendered her resignation Monday after an Internal Affairs review found that she violated police department guidelines during an indictment by a Pinellas County deputy sheriff on 12th November.
Mary O’Connor’s age
Her current age isn’t known yet.
What Were The Details of An Incident?
In a video obtained by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Ms. O’Connor can be seen attempting to defend herself from the officer who loaded her and her husband into the cart.
“Your camera is on?” Mrs. O’Connor asks Deputy Secretary Larry Jacoby through clenched teeth.
“I’m the Tampa Police Chief… I hope you let us go tonight.”
As officers chat, Agent Jacoby admits, “We have a lot of problems with golf here, they all go out,” before letting the couple go.
“If you ever need anything give me a call, I’m serious,” Ms. O’Connor told the officer as she handed him her card before the two shook hands and thanked them for their service.
Resigned
After being placed on administrative leave immediately after the video was released, Ms. O’Connor admitted in an email to the department that she had shown “poor judgment,” Creative Loafing reported.
“In hindsight, I realize the conversation could have been viewed as inappropriate, but that was definitely not my intention,” she wrote.
“I personally called the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and offered to pay for any subpoenas.”
An internal review found that Ms. O’Connor had violated rules on standards of conduct and “abuse of position or identification”. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor then called on the police chief to resign.
“The Tampa Police Department has a code of conduct that sets forth high standards of ethical and professional behavior that apply to all members of our police force,” Mayor Castor said in a statement.
“As a police chief, you not only have to uphold and uphold these standards, you also have to lead by example. This obviously did not happen in this case.”
Ms. O’Connor’s position, which she held for nearly a year, is being filled by Deputy Police Chief Lee Bercaw pending a nationwide search to find a permanent replacement. Ms. O’Connor has had problems with traffic delays in the past.
