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A Raleigh police officer is accused of committing a sexual crime earlier this month with a victim of a crash investigation.
Tremale Cogdell, 28, of Raleigh, faces felony charges of a sexual misconduct of a person in custody and obstruction of justice. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of willfully neglect of duties.
The Raleigh Police Department and State Bureau of Investigation [SBI] held a news conference Friday to discuss Cogdell’s arrest.
“What I’m to share with you today is both troubling and disgraceful,” Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said of Cogdell’s charges.
Boyce said the SBI contacted the Raleigh Police Department on Sept. 26 about an alleged incident involving Cogdell earlier in the month. Cogdell was put on administrative leave on the same day, according to Boyce.
According to Boyce, Cogdell encountered a victim of a crash investigation in the early morning hours of Sept. 12 in Raleigh.
“After completing a call for service, Mr. Cogdell drove the victim back to his personal residence in his city of Raleigh police vehicle and a sexual encounter occurred while Mr. Cogdell was on duty,” Boyce said.
Boyce said the Raleigh Police Department fired Cogdell on Friday morning.
“I want to applaud the victim for coming forward in this case and I offer my heartfelt support to her, her family and to anyone who has been affected by this deeply disturbing incident,” Boyd said.
Boyce said the Raleigh Police Department opened an internal investigation on Cogdell in addition to the SBI’s investigation.
“I am angry and disheartened both as a police chief and as a member of this community,” Boyce said. “The actions that led to Mr. Cogdell’s arrest reflect poorly on the Raleigh Police Department and cast a shadow on the integrity that we work so hard to uphold.
“This is a reminder that no one is above accountability, not even those who wear the badge. But I want to be clear, this arrest does not define who we are.”
Authorities are holding Cogdell on a $30,000 bond.
Cogdell is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
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