WASHINGTON — A Maryland police officer is in trouble with the law after someone he was sent to check on claims the officer touched her inappropriately.
Officer Bradley Tuthill, 33, was sent to do a welfare check on a woman in the county on Jan. 30, according to Anne Arundel County police.
That encounter went by the books, authorities said.
But after that initial check, the woman told police, the officer returned to her home.
“She stated that she felt that he acted inappropriately, and she alleged that he inappropriately touched her,” said Lt. Ryan Frashure, director of media relations for the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
Once the complaint was made against the officer, Frashure said, Tuthill’s police powers were suspended, he was placed on administrative duty, and detectives began an investigation.
Detectives later delivered their findings to a District Court commissioner, and Tuthill was served a criminal summons on Friday for several misdemeanor charges. The counts against the three-year veteran of the force include fourth-degree sex offense, second-degree assault and two counts of malfeasance in office.
“He’ll be on paid administrative duties until the findings of his criminal court date,” Frashure said.
It is important for the department to show its citizens that it takes these allegations very seriously, Frashure said.
“We work very hard to earn the trust of the community, and when allegations like this come about we need our citizens to know that we’ll investigate it very thoroughly,” he said.
