A Minneapolis police officer has been relieved of duty amid allegations that he left an emergency call to have sexual relations with a civilian he met on a dating app.
The patrol officer of six years remains on paid leave pending an investigation, according to four sources with knowledge of the case. The Star Tribune is choosing not to identify the officer, as he has not been formally disciplined.
Text messages submitted to the Police Department's Internal Affairs — and obtained by the Star Tribune — reveal a conversation between the 28-year-old Fifth Precinct officer and an unidentified person during a recent overnight shift; the exact date is unknown. He shares an apparent photo of his penis and inquires whether the civilian would be interested in providing oral sex to "a cop in uniform."
The civilian agrees and sends him their location before requesting a photo of his face. The officer — wearing what appears to be his uniform — then takes a selfie from his squad car. The grated partition behind him is clearly visible.
When the civilian responds with a suggestive photo of their own, the officer writes, "Okay, give me a sec, let's see if I can leave this call." Ten minutes later, the officer writes that he has arrived at their apartment and is provided instructions to be buzzed upstairs.
Time stamps indicate that the messages were exchanged over a 2½-hour period during the normal working hours of his shift. The overnight shift, known as "dogwatch," typically runs until about 6:30 a.m.
The alleged conduct raises serious questions about whether the officer left an emergency call while on duty in order to receive sexual favors — and misused city resources to do so.
He was escorted off city property after reporting for work on Oct. 7.
