A Prince George’s County, Maryland, sheriff’s deputy has been charged with second-degree rape and second-degree assault.
According to a news release on Tuesday, Prince George’s County police charged Deputy Sheriff Cpl. Brandon Burroughs, a nine-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, for the alleged assault.
On Dec. 12, evidence indicating that Burroughs had sexually assaulted a woman was presented to members of the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office. It forwarded the evidence to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, which then notified the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit.
Burroughs’s law enforcement authority has been suspended as he remains on a no-duty status without pay, the release said.
“The charges against this deputy are very concerning,” said Sheriff John D.B. Carr. “Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect others, not abuse them. Those who live and work in Prince George’s County deserve the very best from its public safety community, and the behavior alleged in this case runs counter to that expectation.”
The sheriff’s office was originally informed about a separate incident involving Burroughs and a female acquaintance in September, which resulted in temporary protective orders being taken out against both parties before they were dismissed.
In response to the September incident, and in accordance with the office’s protocol, Burroughs was suspended with pay and placed on administrative duty during the investigation.
The same female acquaintance then obtained an additional temporary protective order against Burroughs on Oct. 24, which was dismissed after a final protective order hearing was held Dec. 12.
Prince George’s police is leading the criminal investigation, while the Office of the Sheriff’s Policy Compliance/Internal Affairs Division will lead the administrative investigation.
