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Officer in Taser incident resigns
Sgt. Ryan Hood resigns from the Colonial Beach Police Department
Date published: 7/20/2007
BY REBECCA BLATT
A Colonial Beach police officer recently cleared of wrongdoing in a stun-gun incident has resigned from the force as authorities investigate new allegations of misconduct.
Westmoreland County Commonwealth's Attorney Dean Atkins said Sgt. Ryan Hood gave notice of his resignation July 3. Town Manager Tim Krawczel said the officer is on administrative leave until the resignation takes effect next month.
Hood could not be reached for comment, and Krawczel said he did not know exactly why Hood decided to resign.
"He's resigned, as I understand it, to move on to other things," the town manager said.
Atkins is investigating a complaint from Colonial Beach resident Scott Gast about a 2004 incident in which he gave Hood a red-and-white flashing light from his vehicle after the officer asked for it.
Gast also claimed Hood visited his home in October 2005 and asked for his laser pen, which Gast handed over to the sergeant, Atkins said.
No charges were filed in either case.
Atkins said after Gast sent a letter to him this summer, Colonial Beach police Chief Courtlandt Turner looked into the claims and returned the light to Gast in damaged condition. The chief reported that he could not find the laser pen, Atkins said.
"It's a question of what happened to it and the loss of property or the damage of property, and I told Mr. Gast that I would investigate that," Atkins said.
Atkins said that Hood's resignation followed Gast's complaint. But Atkins said he had not approached Hood about the investigation before he resigned.
Atkins said he is trying to contact Hood to further the investigation. He said he hopes to have completed the review by the middle of next week.
Turner declined to comment on the matter while it is still under investigation.
Hood and Turner were acquitted in May on federal charges that they violated the civil rights of two men shot with a Taser in separate police incidents and then obstructed an FBI investigation into the shootings.
Krawczel would not say whether Hood was still being paid while on leave.
"He's on administrative leave because he's leaving the first week of August," Krawczel said.
Rebecca Blatt: 540/374-5000
Email: rblatt@freelancestar.com
Read more stories about Fredericksburg
Date published: 7/20/2007
Most recent reader comments:
Update
(posted by
Scott_Gast
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
This is Scott Gast, the one mentioned in the article "Officer in Taser Incident Resigns" from 7/20/2007.
When Officer Hood confiscated my responder light, the light was NOT flashing. He came to me on a complaint from a driver who thought he saw it flashing in King George County. The incident occured outside of Hood's jurisdiction and I was NOT charged for anything. Hood then used the light in his police cruiser for an unknown period of time and was returned damaged after 2 years.
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