Oct. 16 (UPI) — A Maryland police officer has been charged with raping a woman at a traffic stop, law enforcement officials said Monday.
Prince George‘s County Police officer Ryan Macklin pulled over a woman Thursday morning at around 1 a.m. in Langley Park, Md., and allegedly forced her to perform a sexual act while they were both seated in her car in a nearby parking lot.
Macklin was in uniform and pulled the alleged victim over in his marked police car. The six-year veteran has been charged with first-degree rape, second-degree rape, perverted practice, second-degree assault and fourth-degree sex offense.
“The charges against this officer are highly troubling,” Prince George’s Police Chief Hank Stawinski said in a statement. “Officers take an oath to protect others, not to abuse their authority in order to victimize someone. Those who live and work in Prince George’s County deserve the very best from the men and women of this department.”
Stawinski said that his department has received additional information indicating that there may be other victims.
He also batted down rumors that the alleged victim was targeted because of her supposed immigration status and said Macklin could not have known what her status was before pulling her over.
