Jeannette police officer accused of falsifying traffic stops
JEANNETTE, Pa. (KDKA) -- Westmoreland County detectives have charged a Jeannette police officer with 18 misdemeanor counts of tampering with public records.
Matthew Painter, of Irwin, was charged on Tuesday by County Detective Jenna Derco.
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.
