Officer accused of stealing $4,000 from suspect he arrested, Kentucky cops say
A Kentucky police officer was arrested after being accused of pocketing $4,000 from someone he arrested, authorities said.
Javar Downs, an officer with the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, was arrested Aug. 23 on charges of theft by unlawfully taking more than $1,000 and official misconduct, according to a police report.
Authorities said the person Downs arrested Aug. 21 filed a complaint the next day saying, from their belongings, $4,000 was missing from an envelope that contained $10,000 total.
Downs was placed on emergency suspension, and the process of his termination has been started, the Courier Journal reported.
“Allegations of officer malfeasance are taken very seriously. LMPD prioritizes accountability and remains committed to conducting thorough and expedient investigations in the best interests of all parties involved,” Angela Ingram, the department’s communications director, told the outlet.
Downs is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 27, court records show.
Involvement in Scottie Scheffler’s Arrest
Downs was one of three officers who did not activate his body camera during the high-profile May 17 arrest of Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, during the PGA Championship in Louisville, WLKY reported.
Officers arrested Scheffler, claiming he failed to comply with Detective Brian Gillis’ instructions and dragged him to the ground with his vehicle, the Lexington Herald-Leader previously reported.
In a statement to the Herald-Leader, the Louisville Metro Police Department confirmed there was “no body-worn camera footage of the initial encounter.”
Gillis, Downs, and Detective Kelvin Watkins were found to be in violation of the department’s body camera policy by not having the device activated, WHAS reported.
This story was originally published August 23, 2024 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Officer accused of stealing $4,000 from suspect he arrested, Kentucky cops say."
