by Todd Dunn
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- North Port
police Officer Shawn Rice is serving a 30-day unpaid suspension for kissing a
16-year-old girl. Rice, a five-year veteran with the North Port P.D., served in
the K-9 unit and was an adviser to the Explorer program. In April, the father
of the 16-year-old girl came to the police department to report Rice kissed his
daughter against her will.
“For impartiality I asked the
Venice Police Department to conduct the criminal portion of the investigation
to which they did," said Police Chief Kevin Vespia. "Upon conclusion
of there investigation they determined there was not sufficient probable cause
of any wrong doing.”
Vespia said there were no
witnesses to the kiss which both sides acknowledge took place. According to the
Internal affairs report, the juvenile said she was kissed by Rice four times,
all against her will.
“The officer's claim is that a
kiss occurred where she was the aggressor, meaning the sixteen year old,"
Chief Vespia says. "He pushed her away and felt that it was
inappropriate.”
Rice did not tell the girl's
parents or report the incident to his superiors, and he allowed the girl into
his house and bedroom on multiple occasions.
“He should have never been in
that position. There were comments made that the girl had a crush on him. She
would visit the house with her friend who was the babysitter and she would
leave notes on the refrigerator referring to herself as future ex-wife or FEW,”
Chief Vespia says.
Rice maintains that the girl is
lying; though he declined to take a polygraph test.
“The fact of the matter is
there were signs there that were pretty evident based on his testimony and
admissions were he should have put a stop to it before it even got to that
level,” says Chief Vespia.
Rice is the fourth North Port
officer to be disciplined for his actions this year.
“It makes everybody in the
community a little nervous because these people are supposed to protect us,”
said North Port resident Cythia Morse.
“I just think it is
ridiculous," said resident Debbie Bischoff. "If you are in that
position, you know better.”
Chief Vespia agrees and hopes
the public will not judge the entire department based on the actions of a few.
“There's a handful of people
that have made poor decisions and we are dealing with them,” he says.
After his 30 day suspension,
Rice will be on probation for one year. He will not be a part of the K-9 unit
or the police Explorer program and will be assigned back to street patrol.
Rice was given a 30 day
suspension without pay for conduct unbecoming a North Port Officer and Moral
Character Violation. After he serves the suspension (which started July 22),
Rice will be on probation for a year. He will no longer be a part of the K-9
unit or the police Explorer program and will be assigned back to street patrol.
