Two San Jose police officers have been arrested and charged following an internal investigation, the department announced Thursday.
Raydarius Surry, 29, and Destiney Thompson, 30, are charged with tampering with evidence and filing a false police report, according to police. The two are in a relationship and have been with the department for several years – eight for Surry and six for Thompson.
Back in August, police launched an investigation into Surry in connection with an arrest he made on May 3. Surry was notified by the department in August that a small baggie containing a small amount of suspected narcotics, which had been listed in his police report, was never booked into evidence, according to police. The baggie was slated to be tested by the county crime lab.
On Aug. 12, after being told about the missing evidence, Surry stopped a pedestrian unrelated to the May 3 case and found a similar baggie of suspected narcotics, police said. Surry seized the baggie, did not take any additional enforcement action and later booked the baggie into evidence under the May 3 case number. He did not document the Aug. 12 stop or evidence seizure.
Police said Thompson watched body camera footage of the May 3 arrest to allegedly help Surry formulate a plan to replace the missing evidence.
Surry and Thompson surrendered late Wednesday evening and were booked into county jail, police said.
“Officers are required to maintain the chain of custody without exception and to be completely truthful in their accounts of interactions with the public,” San Jose police Chief Paul Joseph said in a statement. “Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our Department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability. These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect. I will not tolerate any Department member violating the sacred trust placed in us.”
Surry was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 2 while the investigation was underway, according to police. Thompson was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 18.
Investigators conducted a thorough review of both officers’ cases, arrests and evidence bookings and did not find any other discrepancies, the department said.
SJPD referred the case to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training for temporary decertification review, police said.
The police department’s Criminal Investigations Detail referred the criminal investigation to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, which filed charges Wednesday afternoon.
