UPDATE: Mayor Papenfuse confirms Corporal Todd Chance has resigned his position with the Harrisburg Police Department.
Original Story:
A Harrisburg police officer turned himself in after being charged with stalking his ex-girlfriend. Tuesday, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s office filed charges against Corporal Todd Chance. Now the police department wants to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Harrisburg Police Chief Tom Carter says his officers are held to a very high standard. He says everything they do is and will be examined under a microscope. Cpl. Chance’s attorney responded to the charges against him saying he’s sorry.
“He lost his cool and he made some dumb decisions and he’s going to have to live with these consequences now,” says Chance’s attorney, Brian Perry.
Those decisions Perry is talking about are detailed in court documents. The victim states she had been in a ten year on and off relationship with Chance. She says the two went to a Philadelphia Phillies game together, and during that game she says she texted two other men she was interested in. She says out of jealously, Chance later took her phone and texted unwanted pictures of himself and the victim to those two men. Records show Chance later attempted to follow the victim to work and continued to call and text her. Although court documents state he admitted to all of this, his attorney hasn’t said yet if he plans to plead guilty.
“These cases, they’re difficult because you have he said, she said. Usually the truth is somewhere in between and the facts will come out as the case progresses,” says Perry.
Despite the allegations against the 10 year police officer and two-time Iraq war vet, Chief Carter says people can still trust the department.
“We’re here for the public, we’re here to protect and serve,” says Chief Carter.
Harrisburg Mayor, Eric Papenfuse says the department took immediate action the day the allegations were brought to light in August.
“I think by acting swiftly and decisively, it should show the public that there is no effort to circle the wagons, no effort to not hold our officers accountable for their behavior and their actions,” says Papenfuse.
Officers at the police department are regularly evaluated on their performance and duties. The Chief says he is making sure all officers act with a true culture of accountability. As for Cpl. Chance, he is suspended with pay until the case is resolved.
