FLORIDA — A now former Tallahassee Police officer has been arrested and charged after he allegedly raped a 21-year-old woman during a traffic.
On February 24, 2018 the Consolidated Dispatch Agency (CDA) received a call reference a Tallahassee Police Officer sexually assaulting a woman on a traffic stop, near the area of Thomasville Road and Hermitage Drive.
TPD sent investigative personnel to meet with the victim for an interview, collect evidence, and provide victim services. Officer Vincent Crump was identified as the involved officer and was immediately placed on administrative leave. During the initial investigation, the evidence supported that actions taken by Officer Crump violated the public’s trust and values of the Tallahassee Police Department, and he was subsequently terminated on February 25, 2018.
The Tallahassee Democrat reported: According to court documents, Crump pulled the woman over on Thomasville Road near the intersection of Hermitage Boulevard because she was driving without headlights on.
During the stop, Crump told her he smelled marijuana in her car but said they could make a deal rather than him search the car.
Crump and the woman moved their vehicles to nearby Dorothy B. Oven Park where investigators say she was asked to get out of her car. She reported Crump began to grope and kiss her while putting his hands down her pants before he exposed his genitals, arrest document said.
“The victim tried to explain the suspect did not order to her or force her to do the things he wanted,” TPD investigators wrote in their report. “However, the victim felt a lot of anxiety. She worried that she would get into trouble if she did not do what the suspect wanted.”
The woman told investigators while she was not coerced, she felt Crump wanted her to perform oral sex. Crump then asked her to remove her tights and had sex with the woman, according to court records.
Crump told her he would like to see her again, according to court records, and that she was “good to go,” before leaving in his TPD cruiser.
After conducting a thorough investigation and presenting it to the State Attorney’s Office, probable cause was established for the arrest of Vincent Crump for Sexual Assault.
“I want to apologize to the victim for the actions of Mr. Crump. I am proud of her courageous decision to come forward, so Mr. Crump can be held accountable, and we can ensure that he does not have the opportunity to prey on our community,” said Chief Michael J. DeLeo.
Chief DeLeo continued, “Mr. Crump’s actions were a terrible abuse of power by someone in whom we placed our trust. Abuses of power and disregard for the community’s trust will not be tolerated. The Tallahassee Police Department’s investigation and work with the State Attorney’s Office demonstrate that no one is above the law, and that everyone, regardless of position, is accountable for their decisions.”
“The Tallahassee Police Department has a proud tradition of service to this community, and we will not allow the actions of one individual to tarnish the outstanding work of the hundreds of dedicated members of this agency. We are committed to our community and will continue to work diligently to earn and keep the public’s trust and confidence,” Chief DeLeo stated.
