A police officer in Hazelwood, Missouri, is facing accusations of sexual harassment. The woman who is making those accusations even took out a restraining order against the man. She indicated that the harassment happened at a gas station, while she was at work.
The woman’s attorney made the case out to be much more than just a one-time event, though. He said that the officer had been harassing the woman for a few months, and that he had even been stalking her.
The alleged actions that were taken by the officer are a bit varied, according to reports. There are accusations of verbal sexual assault. The woman is also claiming that she was touched on at least one occasion. Furthermore, she says that the man sometimes followed her.
Reports do indicate that a lot of the alleged harassment took place while the officer was officially on the clock for the department.
This case is a bit surprising to some, as the officer had actually been given an award for heroism not too long ago. A man was trapped in a fire, and the officer was able to rescue him and save his life.
The police department was contacted, but they are not legally allowed to talk about such cases that involve officers. The police chief did say that he knows that the accusations have been made, though.
When unwelcome sexual behavior happens while someone is on the clock or in the workplace, it is very important for the people who feel they are victimized in this situation to know about all of their legal rights and options to seek justice. This is true even when those accused are supposed to be upholding the law.
Source: KSDK, “Hazelwood officer accused of harassment” Tracy Clemons, Jul. 22, 2014
