Body-cam video shows Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor flashing her badge during a traffic stop
By: Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor could face disciplinary action after she was seen on body-cam video flashing her badge following a traffic stop in Pinellas County.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor called O'Connor's actions "unacceptable" and said an internal review is underway.
The body-cam video shows O'Connor and her husband after they were pulled over by a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy on Nov. 12 while riding a golf cart with a license plate outside of their East Lake Woodlands residence area in Oldsmar.
In the video, O'Connor is seen in the passenger seat, smiling after the deputy approached them.
"Is your camera on? I'm the police chief in Tampa," O'Connor is seen on video asking the deputy.
After exchanging pleasantries, O'Connor told the deputy, "I'm hoping you'll just let us go tonight."
The deputy let them go without a citation.
As the deputy was about to leave, O'Connor told him, "If you need anything, call me. Serious, thank you for your service."
In a statement, O'Connor said she expressed what she calls "great remorse" to Castor, and that she should not be above the law.
Statement from Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor:
"It was poor judgment on our part to be driving a golf cart on a public roadway without the appropriate tags. This was the first time we had exited the golf-cart friendly community in which we own property with this vehicle, prompting the need for a license plate.
"In hindsight, I realize how my handling of this matter could be viewed as inappropriate, but that was certainly not my intent. I knew my conversation was on video, and my motive was not to put the deputy in an uncomfortable position. I have personally called the Pinellas County Sheriff offering to pay for any potential citation.
"I have expressed great remorse to the Mayor, and I apologize to the residents of Tampa who have a reasonable expectation of better judgment from their chief of police.
"As someone who has dealt with, taken ownership of and grown from my past mistakes, I know that no one is above the law, including me."
Statement from Mayor Jane Castor:
"We hold everyone accountable, no matter their position, and this behavior was unacceptable. Chief O'Connor will go through the due process and face appropriate discipline."
"Chief O'Connor has voluntarily reached out to the Tampa Police Professional Standards Bureau asking to receive the same discipline that any officer would receive for similar conduct. An internal review of the incident is underway.