A North Charleston police officer is placed on administrative duty and under investigation after Dorchester deputies pulled her over for speeding.
On Christmas Eve, officers charged 41-year-old Christine Phinney, the wife of a Dorchester County Sheriff's Lieutenant, with offenses that could have put her behind bars, but she never went to jail.
"I'm a police officer," yelled Phinney on the dash cam video. "Do you know see my torn lip? Do you not see my lip?"
Police say she was handcuffed and wrestled to the ground. After the small fight she said, "He's going to love it when he gets sued for a (expletive) fat lip."
Phinney worked as an officer with North Charleston Police Department. "I pull people for driving 100 mph, you know what they say? I'm a narcotics officer in an unmarked vehicle. Well just slow it down and have a good night. As long as the show me a badge, I don't care," said Phinney.
She tells the deputy she is Tony Phinney's wife, a lieutenant with the same agency that pulled her over.
Despite her connection, they charged her with disorderly conduct and reckless driving. Maj. John Garrison says the majority of people with those charges get a court date, but they're not taken to jail.
"It's not like there was preference shown it was treated like any other case," said Garrison.
It all started after officers saw Phinney speeding down Central Avenue in Summerville.
They say she drove in the median and passed cars pulled over for the blue lights. Eventually she turned in to the White Gables subdivision and stopped for officers. An incident report says they clocked her going 65 in a 40 mph speed zone.
"In this instance it did involve another police officer. Her supervisors in North Charleston were notified. They responded and requested that they be allowed to take custody of her. They did what they had to do as far as department police and their internal affairs investigation," said Maj. Garrison.
He says she could be fined, spend up to 60 days in jail, and get six points on her license for the charges. He says alcohol was not a factor.
North Charleston Police department has placed Phinney on administrative duty as she is being investigated.
-----------------------
More Information & Photo
No comments:
Post a Comment