Bradenton Florida Cop Scandal
Three Bradenton, Florida police officers; Detective Pete Biddlecome, Detective Larry Pritchett and Officer William Anderson resigned in the wake of a police officer and prostitute scandal which has shaken the city.
Alleged prostitutes Dawn Marie Gibson and Sarah Wysocki say they had sex with officers in various places around the city including inside a police substation while the officers were on duty.
The women also state that they were paid with money, crack cocaine and food and received protection from arrest from their police department clients.
Gibson said it started last year when officers flirted with her, and she flirted in return. She said they offered to keep her out of jail if she gave them what they wanted. A few months later, a different officer arrested her, and that’s when she squealed. Gibson said she reported her involvement with the officers to a sergeant and a lieutenant. She said they laughed and said no one would ever believe her
Police administrators are also investigating whether supervisors Lt. Darrell Akemon and Sgt. Troy Ball knew about the allegations months earlier and failed to report them. Another Bradenton officer filed a complaint against the supervisors for failing to act.
Biddlecome admitted to having sex with Gibson, then giving her $10 and fast food. He expressed regret and blamed his actions on “having a high sex drive.”
Biddlecome was the Bradenton Exchange Club’s 2006 ‘Officer of the Year’.
Dawn Marie Gibson passed a polygraph test regarding her allegations and internal affairs investigators were able to substantiate most of them although a those involving a fourth officer were deemed lacking proof to back up those claims although Gibson passed the lie-detector test regarding those claims also.
At last report Dawn Marie Gibson was still in the Manatee County jail while Police Chief Michael Radzilowski meets with prosecutors to decide if any charges will even be filed against the officers involved.
References:
Bradenton officers’ accuser found credible (7/26/07)
Cops caught up in sex scandal (7/26/07)