Salem detective suspended pending federal investigation



By Jeff Sturgeon jeff.sturgeon@roanoke.com 981-3251 
The city of Salem revealed Monday morning that a Salem police detective assigned to a federal drug task force was suspended without pay two months ago and is the subject of a federal investigation.
The reason for the investigation has not been made public.
Salem spokesman Mike Stevens said the officer, whom Stevens declined to name, was suspended without pay Oct. 10 in connection with an FBI probe.
Before the suspension, the officer had been assigned for the last five years to a local U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration task force. The officer worked in the task force’s Roanoke office, Stevens said.
Steven’s statement indicated that the case may be in a preliminary phase and hasn’t yet gone to court.
Stevens said the officer’s suspension would be subject to further review and revision “at the conclusion of this officer’s court proceedings.”
Salem Police Chief Tim Guthrie declined to comment, except to say the officer’s situation is a personnel matt