Charleston police officer fired and arrested over alleged sexual encounter on duty

Former Charleston officer Stephen Chavis faces misconduct charges after an alleged sexual encounter during a James Island call. He was fired in September and arrested Wednesday.

Charleston officer charged with misconduct after alleged sexual encounter while on duty

A former Charleston Police Department officer has been arrested and charged with misconduct in office following an alleged "sexual encounter" that took place while he was responding to a call for service at a James Island residence, live5news.com reports.

Stephen Chavis, who served three years in the department's Patrol Division, was taken into custody Wednesday morning by agents from the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which conducted the criminal investigation.

The incident is reported to have occurred in late August. The Charleston Police Department was informed of the allegation on 8 September, at which point Chavis was immediately placed on unpaid leave. An internal administrative investigation concluded that his conduct violated department policy, and he was dismissed on 23 September.

Police Chief Chito Walker addressed the case directly. "The conduct substantiated through the investigation is unacceptable," Walker said. "Police officers are given authority and access because the public trusts us to use both responsibly. Using that position in a way that violates our policies and that trust has no place in this department or profession."

SLED has not yet released further details about the criminal case against Chavis. A mugshot was not immediately available at the time of reporting.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)