A Schaumburg police officer was sentenced in Cook County court today to 18
months probation after he admitted he kept a handgun that two village residents
had turned into the police department for safe disposal.
Bryan
Woodyard, 39, of the 7400 block of Dixon Street in Schaumburg pleaded guilty to
official misconduct during a hearing at the Criminal Courts Building. He had
faced up to five years in prison for the class 3 felony.
Authorities
said Woodyard was working on the department’s front desk in April when he
accepted a .22 caliber revolver from the residents who wanted to dispose of
it. Woodyard at first tried to buy the
gun but the residents insisted it be destroyed, authorities said.
Several
days later, one of the residents told Woodyard’s superiors she was
uncomfortable with the way the officer had handled the situation, authorities
said.
Police
began an investigation and found that Woodyard had not reported the incident
and kept the handgun for personal use, authorities said. A seven-year veteran
of the department, Woodyard subsequently resigned and was arrested in June.
Woodyard
was the fourth Schaumburg police officer to resign this year for alleged
misconduct. Three other former officers
are awaiting trial on charges they kept cash and sold narcotics they had seized
from drug dealers.
