Jeannette police officer accused of falsifying traffic stops
JEANNETTE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A Jeannette police officer was charged with 18 misdemeanor counts of tampering with public records for allegedly making several traffic stops that apparently never happened.
In about a two-week window at the end of June, Officer Matthew Painter allegedly made 18 traffic stops. But now the Westmoreland County district attorney says those traffic stops were fabricated.
Jeannette's police chief contacted the Westmoreland County Detective Bureau in July after reviewing Painter's traffic stops, which appeared inconsistent with his prior traffic enforcement patterns, according to a media release from Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office.
Jeannette police said Painter is assigned to a specific police vehicle equipped with GPS and a light-activated vehicle camera. Officers also utilize body-worn cameras that activate when the emergency lights are on.
Investigators found that from June 18 to July 1, 2024, Painter entered 18 traffic contacts into Jeannette's departmental reporting system that were believed to be fictitious and falsified, the media release said.
Detectives noted several traffic stops contained timestamp inaccuracies showing Officer Painter in a location other than the reported stop, or the lights or cameras were never activated.
Detectives also allege that Painter's body camera showed him inside the police station rather than on a reported traffic stop.
Several of the alleged victims were contacted before charges were filed. Many said Painter never stopped them on the night of the filed reports.
KDKA-TV spoke briefly over the phone with Jeannette Police Chief Derek Manley on Wednesday. He reiterated that this was an isolated issue and that it would not in any way affect the department's ability to protect and serve the community.
Painter is currently on administrate leave pending the outcome of this ongoing investigation.