Hero Tampa Police Chief Resigns After Trying To Bribe Her Way Out Of Traffic Ticket
It was probably cheaper to just pay the fine.
Last month, Pinellas Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Jacoby pulled over Tampa, Florida, Police Chief Mary O’Connor and her husband Keith for driving on the road in a golf cart, an unregistered vehicle, near the gated Oldsmar, Florida, community of East Lake Woodlands.
In the just-released body camera footage, Keith O’Connor explained that they’d stopped for food at a nearby restaurant and didn’t normally drive the cart on public roads, which is illegal and all. Jacoby let O’Connor explain things without beating the crap out of him. He was already getting the “White Person Deluxe” police treatment, but Mary O’Connor wanted more.
She asked if the deputy’s camera was on, and he said, “yes.” That’s when she should’ve just accepted the ticket and moved on with her life, but she nonetheless proceeded to flash her badge at the deputy. "I’m the police chief in Tampa,” she said. “I’m hoping you’ll just let us go tonight.”
Jesus, lady, you’re just getting a ticket! He didn’t even “confuse” the perfume you’re wearing for rum.
Dig how scuzzy she is in the video.
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A member of law enforcement, especially a police chief, should willingly submit themselves to the same legal penalties as any other citizen — no, seriously. I mean it.
Jacoby and the O’Connors continued their pleasant conversation, which is something that happens between cops and white people, and Jacoby sheepishly said they have “a lot of problems with golf carts around here.” Mary O’Connor slipped Jacoby her business card and said, “You ever need anything, call me.” And BOOM goes the dynamite bribe! She’s really not subtle with this. She’s like Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver giving Harvey Keitel’s pimp cash on the street in broad daylight.
It doesn’t seem as if Jacoby was shocked and appalled or felt like his integrity was questioned. He took O’Connor’s card like it was Jay Gatsby's Christmas card from the police commissioner. This only became an issue when Creative Loafing Tampa Bay requested the body camera video of the incident from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It wasn’t until Wednesday, almost three weeks after the incident, that O’Connor told Mayor Jane Castor what had happened. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay had planned to publicly release the video footage on Thursday, which is when Castor ordered an internal affairs investigation.
O’Connor told the captain conducting the internal review that she identified herself as a police officer during the stop “for safety” but “admitted she made a mistake by further asking to be let go without a ticket,” according to Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw’s letter.
It’s revealing that even in O’Connor’s self-serving account of events, she freely admits that telling another police officer she’s also a cop is a reasonable safety measure.
“Chief O’Connor advised she provided the deputy with her business card as she does with hundreds of citizens and law enforcement officers,” Bercaw wrote. “She added this action was not intended to give the deputy any type of preferential treatment.”
This might’ve worked if not for the part where there's video evidence of her corruption. Still, it’s a step up from a 1995 incident when Mary and Josh O’Connor, then rookie cops, were pulled over by a Hillsborough sheriff’s deputy. She “kicked the windows and struck a deputy on the shoulder and chest with her fist.” Keith O’Connor was arrested on a drunk driving charge and Mary was charged with battery on law enforcement office, obstruction, and disorderly intoxication. She pleaded no contest but didn’t serve jail time. Imagine if you'd lost out on the police chief position to this winner.
O’Connor was placed on administrative leave Friday, and Castor asked for and received her resignation on Monday. She’s had the job since February and was pulling down an annual salary of $192,920. Not that Rick Scott or Marco Rubio earn their salaries, but US senators make $174,000 a year. They probably have to pay their own traffic tickets, as well.
Castor said in a statement, "The Tampa Police Department has a code of conduct that includes high standards for ethical and professional behavior that apply to every member of our police force. As the Chief of Police, you are not only to abide by and enforce those standards but to also lead by example. That clearly did not happen in this case.”
The O’Connors’ golf cart was unavailable for comment.
[ Tampa Bay Times / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay ]
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I saw him live on that tour but neither Williamson nor Thurston were with im, but it was great nonetheless.
In a lot of areas in FL golf carts are street legal, and in fact there are whole lots full of them. I can't/won't say what the rules and regs are for licensing them to operate on streets, but often do see them on roads.