Arnold police officer accused of faking hit-and-run crash
ARNOLD, Pa. (KDKA) — An Arnold police officer is accused of lying to investigators about an alleged hit-and-run crash involving his patrol vehicle.
According to sources and the criminal complaint, officer Ryan Clark damaged his car while on patrol. Worried he'd get in trouble, Clark allegedly told his supervisors that his squad car was hit by another vehicle on June 21 while in the parking lot of a Sunoco gas station in Arnold.
However, surveillance video taken from the gas station showed Clark's police car was never hit. Clark also allegedly placed a part of his vehicle in the parking lot to bolster his claims that his car was hit.
Sources tell KDKA-TV that Clark admitted to the scheme and the 32-year-old veteran cop was worried about possibly losing his job because he was involved in another vehicle incident involving a police car in the past.
Arnold's mayor declined to comment other than to say Clark has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
He faces counts of making a false report and tampering with evidence.