By David Gambacorta
The Philadelphia Daily News
So much for a peaceful retirement, eh?
Anthony Floyd, a veteran city police officer, was arrested yesterday - just one day after he retired - and charged with assaulting a woman, police said.
His problems don’t end there. A source familiar with the case said Floyd, who is married, was romantically involved with the woman he allegedly assaulted in February.
His wife apparently learned of his extramarital relationship when he was arrested, the source said.
Floyd is the third police officer in the last week whose behavior has brought shame to the Police Department.
On Tuesday, Sgt. Robert Ralston was fired after he admitted he shot himself in the shoulder in Overbrook on April 5 and then created a phony story about being wounded by a black man with cornrows.
Ralston’s bizarre case followed the May 3 arrest of Rudolph Gary Jr., 26, who allegedly fatally shot his estranged wife’s brother over a dispute stemming from a water-gun fight in South Philly.
Police said detectives began investigating Floyd on Feb. 3, when his paramour contacted the Internal Affairs Bureau and claimed she was the victim of a domestic assault.
Floyd, who worked in the Narcotics Intensive Drug Investigations Unit, was told earlier this week to report to Internal Affairs for a meeting.
He retired after being notified of the meeting.
Floyd surrendered to Internal Affairs investigators yesterday and was charged with simple assault, making terroristic threats, stalking, reckless endangerment and harassment.
Although Floyd’s retirement appeared to be a possible last-ditch attempt at saving his pension, police union officials say it was likely not the case.
For one thing, Floyd joined the force in 1996, but began working for the city in 1984, making him eligible to retire at age 45.
The city’s code also makes it difficult to strip retirees of their pension, even if they end up behind bars.
Chapter 22-1300 of the code states that a city employee could lose retirement benefits only if he or she pleads or is found guilty of perjury; accepting or offering a bribe; engaging in graft or corruption; theft, embezzlement or willful misapplication of city funds; malfeasance in office or engaging in conspiracy to commit any of the above.
Floyd is the fifth Philly cop to be arrested since November.
John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, acknowledged that the spate of stories about bad cops could have a negative impact on the relationship between residents and police.
Much goodwill had been built up during the last several years, when the department endured seeing seven cops killed in the line of duty.
“It’s like taking two steps forward and one step back,” McNesby said.
“Still, I think the community has trust in police. They know we’re not happy about these incidents.”
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