PALMER PARK, Md. — A Prince George’s County Police officer is under arrest following accusations of raping a woman in her car during a traffic stop last week.
Officer Ryan Macklin, a six-year veteran of the force, was arrested around 8 p.m. Monday.
He’s charged with first-degree rape, second-degree rape, perverted practice, second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense.
And Police Chief Hank Stawinski says there may be more victims.
“The investigation has led me to believe, based on … the victim’s statement, witness statements, the totality of the circumstances, that he saw this individual and chose to target her simply because she was a woman driving at a late hour in Prince George’s County. There is nothing that leads us to conclude there was anything further,” Stawinski said at a Monday night news conference at police headquarters.
The chief says the victim was pulled over around 1 a.m. Thursday on University Boulevard in Langley Park.
Macklin is accused of forcing the woman to perform a sexual act while they were both seated in her car in a parking lot.
At the time of the alleged crime, Macklin was on duty, in uniform and driving a marked police cruiser.
Macklin has been suspended without pay, and has been relieved of his weapons, police vehicle and credentials.
Police have released surveillance video that they believe shows the very beginning of the incident where the officer activates the lights on his police cruiser.
Stawinski says he released the video to assure the community that the officer could not have known the alleged victim’s immigration status before pulling her over.
Police have additional videos, are gathering more evidence and executing search warrants, and the chief says they may go before a grand jury as early as Thursday.
“I want to praise the victim in this for having the courage to come forward. She came forward with the encouragement of some of her friends. We can’t address these issues of any kind, whether its police misconduct, whether its criminal conduct, whether its gangs, whatever the case may be. We can’t address those things without the cooperation of the community,” Stawinski said.
Anyone with information about Macklin or potential additional victims are asked to call a hotline that’s been set up with a message in both English and Spanish at 301-772-4795.
The chief says he’s convinced that word of the accusations against the officer were leaked to the media before charges were filed, in an effort to undermine the investigation.
“If I find out who leaked this information, they will be dealt with in the harshest possible manner,” said Stawinski.
