A Police Officer Was Caught On His Body Camera Allegedly Fondling A Dead Woman's Breasts

The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

A Los Angeles police officer is under investigation after his body camera caught him allegedly fondling a dead woman's breasts.

Los Angeles police spokesperson Josh Rubenstein told BuzzFeed News the officer has been placed on leave and an administrative investigation has been initiated into reports that he "inappropriately handled or touched a dead body."

The incident occurred when the officer, who has not been identified, and his partner were responding to a call about a possible dead woman in a residential unit, the Los Angeles Times reported. When his partner left the room, the officer turned off his body-worn camera and allegedly fondled the woman's breasts, according to the LA Times and KABC-TV, which cited police sources.

The alleged incident was reportedly recorded because the cameras have a continuous two-minute buffer.

"We are going to look at all the evidence," Rubenstein said. "We're going to review body-worn video. We are going to talk to witnesses."

He declined to comment further, citing state law about personnel investigations.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), the union that represents sworn officers in the department, called the reports "extremely disturbing."

“If this allegation is true, then the behavior exhibited by this officer is not only wrong, but extremely disturbing, and does not align with the values we, as police officers, hold dear, and these values include respect and reverence for the deceased,” the union said in a statement. “This behavior has no place in law enforcement.”

On Wednesday, the union said that it would not represent the officer in any criminal proceedings if they were to occur.

"This behavior is beyond pale, beyond acceptable, and an extreme violation of trust that will not be tolerated," LAPPL president Craig Lally said during a press conference.

Lally said the union is required to assist the officer during the administrative process, but, at this point, the officer has not reached out asking for representation.

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