Posted On:
May 16, 2010
Police misconduct in Sumter and Lee Counties
The Sumter County Sheriff's Office fired Sergeant Alexander Dukes and accepted the resignation of Investigator Dominick West last week, following numerous disciplinary violations, although no criminal charges have been filed against either. In addition to not following department policy regarding off-duty security details and refusing to respond to a call, the allegations include:
Dukes' first write-up, dated March 31, 2003, came after Dukes initiated a traffic stop around 7:30pm on March 19, 2003. Records showed that Dukes did not radio the stop in to dispatchers, did not notify a supervisor of a police action, did not turn in evidence, did not file a report, released the suspect vehicle to an unauthorized person, and picked up property from a pawn shop with authorization. The incident happened at an address on Grey Fox Trail, according to the write-up. Dukes was suspended for two weeks without pay and demoted for six months.
West's allegations include covering for Dukes and tipping off the subject of a drug raid:
Drug unit Captain Allen Dailey wrote West up on Feb. 8, 2010 after Dailey said West interfered with a drug raid. The write-up has several redactions of a juvenile's name, according to Major Gary Metts. The write-up charges West with a conduct violation after Dailey wrote that West called to tip someone off about an arrest while the drug unit was executing a search warrant at the suspect's address, according to the write-up. The suspect, Dailey wrote, could not be found until later.
Earlier this month, neighboring Lee County Sheriff E.J. Melvin was arrested and charged in federal court on drug conspiracy charges - he is accused along with 6 others of conspiring to distribute quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine.
