dorkettechicky
March 11th, 2010, 09:03 AM
BUNNELL -- A city police officer has been fired after officials say he abused department resources to stalk a former girlfriend and visit banned Web sites.
Officer Russell Nasby, 45, was terminated Monday following a four-month internal investigation launched in November. He had been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 29.
"I just want to apologize to the city of Bunnell and to remind law enforcement that we're held to a higher standard," said Police Chief Arthur Jones.
A teacher at a local elementary school told Flagler County Sheriff's Office investigators in October that her relationship with Nasby ended in July but that he was stalking her on social networking sites, e-mail and by telephone, according to the report from Bunnell police.
The woman, who is not being identified because of the nature of the case, declined to press charges or pursue an injunction for fear of retaliation by Nasby.
"Had criminal charges been brought, this investigation would not even have been necessary," Jones said.
But the complaint prompted Bunnell police to launch an investigation into Nasby's possible misuse of resources to visit banned Web sites and conduct unauthorized searches in the state driver and vehicle database while on- and off-duty.
The woman wrote Nasby an Oct. 26 e-mail asking him not to contact her again, but he did. And in a Jan. 26 e-mail to another Bunnell officer, she said Nasby stopped behind her and her boyfriend in a marked patrol car in a parking lot and drove off soon after while shouting expletives.
Nasby was placed on paid administrative leave days later and directed to remain home unless given permission to leave. He also had to check in daily on weekdays and was subject to random checks, the report shows.
Investigators concluded that Nasby used his department computer to make almost 5,000 visits to dating Web sites, a pharmacy site for Viagra, a gambling site and check personal e-mail.
Investigators also found Nasby used the state driver and vehicle database to get information on the woman's boyfriend, as well as on a Sheriff's Office deputy who was a resource officer at the school where she works.
Nasby's 17-month record with the department shows a few commendations and a positive one-year evaluation as well as disciplinary action in September 2007 for inappropriate Taser use. He had previous stints in the Los Angeles Police Department, as an investigator in New York and as a truck driver in Bunnell. Nasby is the second Bunnell Police Department employee to leave the job because of improper actions in less than two months. Cpl. Nick Massaro stepped down Jan. 27 after an internal investigation found he had posted a sexually explicit ad on Craigslist about a local woman without her knowledge.
"In certain respects, it's tainted our reputation and this is the kind of thing we have to do to make it clean," Jones said.
kari.cobham @news-jrnl.com
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/flagler/2010/03/10/bunnell-officer-fired-after-stalking-investigation.html
Officer Russell Nasby, 45, was terminated Monday following a four-month internal investigation launched in November. He had been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 29.
"I just want to apologize to the city of Bunnell and to remind law enforcement that we're held to a higher standard," said Police Chief Arthur Jones.
A teacher at a local elementary school told Flagler County Sheriff's Office investigators in October that her relationship with Nasby ended in July but that he was stalking her on social networking sites, e-mail and by telephone, according to the report from Bunnell police.
The woman, who is not being identified because of the nature of the case, declined to press charges or pursue an injunction for fear of retaliation by Nasby.
"Had criminal charges been brought, this investigation would not even have been necessary," Jones said.
But the complaint prompted Bunnell police to launch an investigation into Nasby's possible misuse of resources to visit banned Web sites and conduct unauthorized searches in the state driver and vehicle database while on- and off-duty.
The woman wrote Nasby an Oct. 26 e-mail asking him not to contact her again, but he did. And in a Jan. 26 e-mail to another Bunnell officer, she said Nasby stopped behind her and her boyfriend in a marked patrol car in a parking lot and drove off soon after while shouting expletives.
Nasby was placed on paid administrative leave days later and directed to remain home unless given permission to leave. He also had to check in daily on weekdays and was subject to random checks, the report shows.
Investigators concluded that Nasby used his department computer to make almost 5,000 visits to dating Web sites, a pharmacy site for Viagra, a gambling site and check personal e-mail.
Investigators also found Nasby used the state driver and vehicle database to get information on the woman's boyfriend, as well as on a Sheriff's Office deputy who was a resource officer at the school where she works.
Nasby's 17-month record with the department shows a few commendations and a positive one-year evaluation as well as disciplinary action in September 2007 for inappropriate Taser use. He had previous stints in the Los Angeles Police Department, as an investigator in New York and as a truck driver in Bunnell. Nasby is the second Bunnell Police Department employee to leave the job because of improper actions in less than two months. Cpl. Nick Massaro stepped down Jan. 27 after an internal investigation found he had posted a sexually explicit ad on Craigslist about a local woman without her knowledge.
"In certain respects, it's tainted our reputation and this is the kind of thing we have to do to make it clean," Jones said.
kari.cobham @news-jrnl.com
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/flagler/2010/03/10/bunnell-officer-fired-after-stalking-investigation.html