By Douglass Dowty |
ddowty@syracuse.com
Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse
police officer is being investigated on an accusation that he had sex with a
woman who called for help, a source said.
Officer Chester Thompson has
been suspended without pay from the Syracuse police, another source said.
Both sources confirmed that the
Onondaga County District Attorney's Office is investigating the incident, which
the accuser said happened in the past two weeks near downtown.
Thompson's lawyer did not
return calls seeking comment. No one answered the door at a residence listed
for him. Thompson has not been arrested or charged.
Syracuse police Chief Frank
Fowler said the department had no comment. The DA's office had no comment,
either.
The woman had called for help,
concerned about her daughter's welfare, a source said.
Thompson responded to the call.
The investigation found no allegation of physical force and the victim never
resisted, a source said. The daughter was not present.
Later, the woman reported that
Thompson had sex with her, a source said. It wasn't clear how she reached
authorities - whether through a victims' advocate or by calling police
directly.
Because no force was alleged,
that would appear to rule out the consideration of sex charges. Thompson could
still face official misconduct-type charges if found to have had sex on the
job.
Official misconduct covers
inappropriate behavior committed by an on-duty public official for personal
gain.
Thompson, 46, an 18-year
veteran, had a base 2015 salary of $67,438. He earned $80,027 in 2014,
including overtime and other benefits, payroll records show
