A police officer from Prince George's County, Maryland, has been suspended following the circulation of a video on social media allegedly showing him in an intimate encounter with a woman before both entered the rear of a patrol car.
The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) confirmed the suspension in a Facebook post on Tuesday, stating that an investigation had been initiated to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The video, which was recorded on Sunday, had garnered millions of views by Wednesday morning, according to the Baltimore Banner. The officer in question has been identified by police sources as PGPD Officer Francesco Marlett. The footage shows Marlett, in uniform, kissing a woman and wrapping his arm around her waist before both proceed to the back of a marked police vehicle.
The person who filmed the video, known only as Nelson O, stated that the incident occurred around 7 p.m. at Carson Park in Oxon Hill. Nelson O was at the park with his child and other family members for a soccer game when he noticed the officer's allegedly suspicious behavior. He began filming when he saw a young woman, estimated to be in her 20s, approach the officer. Nelson O told the Baltimore Banner, "Something didnt seem right."
The Baltimore Banner reported that the pair remained in the back of the police vehicle for approximately 40 minutes before departing in separate vehicles. Nelson O expressed his concern to the outlet, stating, "It was concerning because theres kids around. It just seemed off because this is the person that youre supposed to call for suspicious activity doing the suspicious activity, you know."
A woman claiming to be Marlett's wife, identified as Paula Marlett, posted a message on Facebook on Wednesday, expressing her distress over the "embarrassing and painful" situation. She revealed that her husband had been unfaithful to her "for years" and identified the woman in the video as Virginia, who she claimed had been abandoned by her husband due to her infidelity.
The Prince Georges County Police Department has not provided any updates on the case as of Wednesday morning. Officer Marlett has faced disciplinary action in the past. He was suspended in 2015 and indicted by a grand jury the following year on charges of child abuse and assault. He was accused of causing his girlfriend's 3-year-old child to hit his head on a wall and lose consciousness after spanking him. The charges were eventually dropped, according to Fox 5. Marlett was suspended again in May of this year following an accusation of domestic violence.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many expressing their concern over the officer's conduct.
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