A jury has found two Detroit police officers charged with serious felonies, and suspended from work more than a year ago not guilty.
The two veteran officers were charged with stealing thousands of dollars from people they arrested.
This puts Police Chief James Craig in a very tough spot.
This case came to his department from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office. And it was a quick verdict.
It was October 2015 when Detroit officers Charles Lynem and Chancellor Searcy, were charged with embezzlement, larceny, misconduct in office and false report of a felony.
Officers Lynem and Searcy are in their early 30s and have been in the Detroit Police Department for 7 years.
They worked in an elite, tactical response unit and the accusations of theft of thousands of dollars were during arrests that go back to 2013 and 2014.
The quick verdict could indicate a weak case.
The chief says the officers should return to work, but they may not be in the clear, just yet.
The chief says, if the officers are cleared, there is a transition period they go through to return to the streets.
So it won’t be right away. But he says he wants them back, for now.
