Two Prince George’s
County police officers were arraigned in Charles County Thursday. They are
accused of kidnapping, false imprisonment, second-degree assault and misconduct
involving two teenagers.
The incident began at a Memorial Day party in
Waldorf, Md. Off-duty officers Christopher Perry and Michael Rowe were told
that three teenagers stole alcohol.
Two teens claim they were handcuffed,
threatened and driven around before being released, News4’s Jackie Bensen
reported. One teen was beaten, and the third teen escaped, according to the
Associated Press.
An attorney for one teen said the officers
were in plain clothes but in a police cruiser.
"The Prince George's County Police
Department is committed to ethical and professional policing both on duty and
off duty, and we have very high expectations of our officers conduct while
they're wearing a uniform and when they're not wearing a uniform," Prince
George's County Deputy Chief Kevin Davis said.
Perry, 27, and Rowe, 26, are four- and
five-year veterans of the force, respectively.
They were suspended with pay within 24 hours
of the alleged Memorial Day incident.
"After the criminal proceedings, the
administrative process will kick in ... There is a possibility that the officers
could be terminated," Davis said.
The officer's pay status will be addressed at
a suspension hearing Monday.