Detroit police officer accused of stealing explicit photos from woman’s phone as she was detained
Samantha Thomason says the officer sent intimate videos and a nude photo from her phone to himself while she was detained following a traffic stop. WXYZ via CNN Newsource
DETROIT — A Detroit police officer has been suspended and is under investigation after a woman accused him of sending intimate videos and photos from her phone to himself while she was in custody.
Detroit police confirmed the officer was arrested earlier this week and that the department’s Internal Affairs unit is investigating the allegations.
The woman, Samantha Thomason, says the officer sent several private files from her phone to an unknown number during a traffic stop that led to her arrest.
“It’s scary to think that someone who is supposed to protect people would choose to do something like that,” Thomason said.
According to Thomason, the situation began late Tuesday night when she first encountered the officer at a gas station on Detroit’s east side. She was later pulled over near Harper and Morang avenues for driving without insurance and was arrested on a probation violation warrant from Canton.
Thomason said she became suspicious after the officer took possession of her phone during the stop. She says she did not confirm what had happened until she bonded out the following morning.
“When I first saw the text that had been sent, it contained a sexual video from my phone,” she said. “I knew something was wrong because I didn’t have access to my phone at that time. The only people who had it were the two officers who arrested me.”
Thomason said 12 files in total — 11 videos and one photo — were sent from her phone.
Using another phone, she says she texted the number that received the files, writing: “I will be reporting you because you sent my nudes.”
Thomason claims the officer later appeared at her home.
“My boyfriend’s brother answered the door,” she said. “The officer asked if Samantha Thomason was there and said he had a warrant for my arrest.”
She said her boyfriend’s brother asked to see the warrant, but the officer did not provide one before leaving.
Thomason then called 911 to report the encounter.
Sources say the officer has been with the department for less than five years and worked in the 5th Precinct’s Special Operations Unit. As of Friday afternoon, he remained in custody at the Detroit Detention Center.
In a statement, Detroit police said the allegations are being taken seriously.
“This matter is being actively investigated,” the department said. “The involved officer was arrested and conveyed to the Detroit Detention Center for processing. The alleged actions are concerning and do not represent the overwhelming majority of Detroit police officers who maintain a high level of conduct and professionalism that they have sworn to uphold.”
The officer has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Thomason said she believes the officer should face significant consequences.
“He should be in jail,” she said. “He definitely should not be a police officer at all.”
After the investigation concludes, the case will be forwarded to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether charges will be filed.
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