Evening star., 1960-02-29
POLICE
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INIIS6
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morning. He announced after
ward:
On Sunday a female citizen
OF this community brought
serious charges against four
members of the Metropolitan
Police Department alleging GER
tain illegal and immoral acts.
These serious charges were rec
ognized as such by the officials
OF the police department, and
an immediate and thorough in
vestigation was instituted.
Every step necessary to be
taken In a sex case was taken
IN the same manner as If the
crime alleged had been COM
mitted by a citizen other than
members of the police force. ="
Citizens of this community
may be assured, as they have
in the past, that in all cases
where complaints are brought
against members Of the police
department. there will be a
complete investigation to OBJ
tain all possible facts to be
placed before the proper prose-
cutting and judicial authorities
for final determination as to
the guilt or innocence of the
persons charged"
Parked With Companion
According to 1t. Hite, the
woman made the following al
legations:
She said she left a party
with a male companion and
parked with him on a dark
street near Phelps Vocational
School, Twenty-fourth and
Benning road NE, about 3
am. yesterday.
She said she noticed a police
scout car drive up. Imme-
diately, she said, she charged
her companion with raping her.
She related that one of the
policemen told her that rape
was a serious charge. He ad-
vised her to reconsider. At the
same time. she added, the
policeman told her companion
to give her So for cab fare so
she could get home.
Her companion left, she de-
clared, and the men ordered her
into their police car and had
sexual relations with her.
Shortly afterward, she con-
tlnued, a second scout car ar
rived on the scene and the two
men IN that car also had rela-
tlons with her. They left her
at the spot, she asserted, and
drove off.
The woman said she hailed a
cab. En- route home, she was
telling the cab driver what had
happened when the driver saw
a passing police cruiser. The
cab driver hailed the cruiser
and told its occupants of the
woman's allegations.
1t. Hite said the woman told
him she had no intention of
making a formal complaint at
the time she hailed the cab.
She said she first had intended
to go home and regain her
composure before deciding
what she would do about the
matter.
Her companion denied he
was having sexual relations
with her when the first scout
car drove up, 1t. Hite said,
He also said he did not hear her
complain to police that she was
being raped.
He also told 1t. Hite that
he had given one of the police
men 50 for the woman's cab
fare and that he saw the Off
Ger hand it over to her. Then
he drove of.
Picks One in Lineup
Within three hours of the
alleged incident, 1t. Hite said,
a lineup was held. The maid
picked out Pvt. Campbell as
one of the men.
At a second lineup she posi-
lively" identified Pvt. Campbell
She tentatively identified Pvts
Vernon and Pennington. telling
authorities they looked like
TWO OF the policemen.
| She said she was unable to
identify Pvt. Cunningham at
either lineup and could not re-
call having ever seen him.
The woman is colored. The
four policemen are white.
Police records show that
Scout Car 90, with Pvts. Camp
bell and Cunningham, reported
it was going to Phelps School
to investigate a light in the
building about the time the
woman said the incident oc-
CURED.
| 1t. Hite added that a radio
call went out from their car
to Scout 81, manned by Pvts
Pennington and Vernon, sor
help in checking the light in
case anyone was found inside