By Christine Byers
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
HAZELWOOD, Mo. — A Hazelwood police dispatcher who was arrested on suspicion of stealing fundraising money for a paralyzed officer was allowed to resign from the department Thursday, according to a source.
April Briscuso, 40, was arrested in November amid an investigation into whether she pocketed some of the money she helped raise for former Officer Craig Tudor. Tudor was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident more than a year ago after a woman hit his vehicle while he was responding to a call for service.
Briscuso told the Post-Dispatch that she had raised more than $75,000 for Tudor, and intended to pay him all of the money she owed him.
Tudor and his wife, Christine, said they received “no where near that amount.”
The Tudors declined to comment Thursday about the city’s decision to allow Briscuso to resign, which means she will be entitled to her pension and vacation pay. She worked as a dispatcher for the city for 11 years.
Briscuso and city officials could not be reached for comment late Thursday.
The Hazelwood police department was conducting an internal affairs investigation into the matter and asked the St. Louis County Police Department to conduct a criminal investigation.
Charges had not been filed against Briscuso as of Thursday.
The Tudors said a GoFundMe account that was set up shortly after the crash is the only donation site that directly benefits them. It has raised about $34,000. Donations can also be made at any U.S. Bank.
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