Lakeland Police Officer Kevin Fullenkamp, age 28, has resigned amid an internal investigation resulting from a complaint of criminal sexual misconduct alleged to have occurred while on duty. The victim, an adult female, encountered Fullenkamp in the early morning hours of April 2, 2011, in the parking lot at 1115 South Bartow Road. At this time the victim was at this location in a vehicle with two adult males engaged in sexual activity when a Lakeland Police Officer, later identified as Officer Kevin Fullenkamp, drove into the parking lot and made contact with the three subjects.
The victim has alleged that the sexual activity with the two men was not consensual and that she informed Fullenkamp of this at the time, but that Fullenkamp ignored this. (Later in the investigation, the victim dropped all charges against the two men.) The victim and the two men all stated that Fullenkamp called them to his vehicle one a time beginning with the victim, and after speaking with the two men one at a time, called the victim back to his vehicle a second time where Fullenkamp met with her alone away from the two men. The victim indicated that the second time Fullenkamp called her to his vehicle he did a pat down on her person wherein he sexually battered her. The victim stated that after the sexual battery occurred, Fullenkamp let them all go. On April 11, 2011, the victim contacted the Lakeland Police Department and reported the incident, but the victim did not know the officer’s name.
The victim positively identified Officer Fullenkamp as the officer that sexually battered her from a photo pack on April 15, 2011. Officer Kevin Fullenkamp was placed on paid administrative leave on April 15, 2011. (Office Fullenkamp remained on paid administrative leave until the date of his resignation.) On April 20, 2011, an internal affairs investigation was opened on Officer Fullenkamp.
As the criminal investigation continued, detectives developed probable cause and completed a complaint affidavit charging Kevin Fullenkamp for simple battery and sexual battery. The information was then turned over the State Attorney’s Office for review.
On May 16, 2011, Officer Kevin Fullenkamp resigned from the Lakeland Police Department amid the internal affairs investigation. Kevin Fullenkamp was hired on January 25, 2010, with an annual salary of $42,042. Fullenkamp had no previous discipline on his record, and one letter of commendation issued on July 7, 2010, for his participation in a Memorial Day safety checkpoint.
On May 25, 2011, the State Attorney’s Office declined prosecution of the case after entering into an agreement with Kevin Fullenkamp that he would resign from the Lakeland Police Department and relinquish his criminal justice certification. Kevin Fullenkamp accepted the offer and both conditions have been completed.
Chief Womack, “Upon our initial assessment of the circumstances surrounding allegations made against Officer Fullenkamp we immediately, due to the nature of the complaint, placed him on paid administrative leave to ensure that a thorough investigation could be completed. Officer Fullenkamp resigned and relinquished his law enforcement certification before the internal affairs investigation was completed. I feel confident that our response to this situation was swift, appropriate, and in the best interest of the members of our department and the citizens of the community that we serve.”
- posted by Sergeant Terri Smith
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