San Diego police officers, husband and wife Bryce and Jennifer Charpentier, were arrested for alleged involvement in sales, transportation, and possession of a controlled substance.
The husband has reportedly been abusing prescription drugs since an injury ended his hockey career, a source told 10 News.
Bryce is a six-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department while his wife Jennifer is an 18-year veteran. Conflicting comments about the couple’s conduct over the past few months range from withdrawn and strange, noted by the 10 News source, to quite visible within their community.
This news comes after widespread issues of police misconduct in 2011 began to erode public faith in the police department. Police Chief at the time, William Lansdowne apologized and said, “I clearly understand that this activity, conduct … (of the) officers involved in these cases has tarnished the image of this police department.” He added, “We’ll work hard to repair that, but it’ll take years to rebuild that relationship, I believe, between us and the community of San Diego,” according to CBS8.
The day following the chief’s apology, another officer was arrested on charges of rape, assault, and kidnapping, CBS8 also eported. Ten cases of impropriety or criminal behavior among SDPD personnel were reported in the three months prior, resulting in six arrests at the time of the chief’s apology.
The U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation into the SDPD in March that is projected to last six to eight months. The investigation was requested by former SDPD Chief Landsdowne, reported Fox5 San Diego in March. The U.S. Attorney’s office and FBI are also looking into criminal activity within the department. Fox5 relayed U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy’s comments on the investigation: “The review itself will focus primarily on police misconduct overall, with an emphasis on sexual misconduct by on-duty officers.”
Shelley Zimmerman took over for Landsdowne in March of this year. Now Zimmerman faces a new case of alleged police misconduct. With a background that includes extensive investigative work and experience in the narcotics division, Zimmerman should be well-equipped to address the situation. According to ABC 10 News, she is cooperating with the Sheriff’s Department and was briefed on the situation by Sheriff Bill Gore.
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