Baltimore police officer Daniel Oxendine accused of raping woman while on duty
Baltimore police officer Daniel Oxendine has been arrested and charged with raping a woman while on duty.
He's due in court Friday afternoon for a bail review hearing. Oxendine was taken into custody Thursday by Harford County Sheriff's deputies after a nearly three-month investigation.
It started June 3, when deputies were told a woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted. Investigators said they later identified Oxendine as a suspect through DNA evidence.
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said the woman needed a ride home after an unrelated domestic incident in Baltimore, and Oxendine's supervisor authorized him to drive her in a patrol car. Oxendine allegedly went into the woman's apartment and raped her.
"He violated the public trust, in this manner, with someone who already went through a traumatic incident," Gahler said. "It stains the police officers who are out there serving the community across this country every single day."
The woman was taken to the hospital for a sexual assault forensic exam, during which investigators collected evidence, including DNA. Deputies said forensic testing conclusively identified Oxendine as the suspect.
He now faces several charges, including first and second degree rape. Gahler is worried there may be other victims.
"We are concerned. This is a police officer. This is a person with a public trust and it's a bold thing and we're concerned, as we are in other cases, that there could be additional victims out there," he told CBS News Baltimore.
"His police powers were previously suspended, and he is now suspended without pay," a Baltimore Police spokesperson said. "While the Harford County Sheriff's Office conducts its investigation, BPD is fully cooperating with the investigation."
