An Ocala Police Department officer was arrested Friday on a warrant for forging a woman's name on a traffic ticket.
Officer Daniel Fitzpatrick -- a three-year officer with nothing but good reviews and commendations in his record -- turned himself in on the third-degree felony charge of uttering a forged instrument.
Authorities gave no motive for the alleged crime.
The case came to light on Oct. 17, when Shautauqua Scott, 36, of Ocala, came to OPD to ask about a notice to appear in court on a citation for driving while her license is suspended, according to an arrest affidavit. She said the officer had given her a warning, not a ticket.
OPD Sgt. Chas Maier reviewed a video of the traffic stop, in which police say Fitzpatrick told the driver she was getting a warning. Maier also viewed the ticket at the Clerk of Courts Office and interviewed Scott, who said she never signed a citation.
On Friday, Scott said she has seen a copy of the ticket and that the signature on it is not hers.
"He tried to get it close to it," she added.
If her sister hadn't noticed the case online, Scott said, she would have missed the court date and had a warrant for her arrest