A Columbus, Mississippi, police officer was fired from her job after being accused of stealing a $140 pair of shoes.
Officials said Robin Conner, 33, swiped the item from a local Dick’s Sporting Goods just after 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb 21, while on duty, dressed in uniform and using her patrol car, WTVA and the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Her co-workers responded to the store after receiving a call from an employee. When they arrived on the scene, the officers took Conner into custody, according to the reports. She was jailed, charged with misdemeanor shoplifting, and granted a $862 surety bond.
“An employee observed them and detained the officer and called 911,” Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry told the Dispatch. “911, knowing it was an officer, called the [shift supervisor] and they notified us. Myself, the assistant chief and the captain over patrol all responded.”
Conner, who started working for the department in 2022, was initially placed on administrative leave. Daughtry reportedly called the situation “embarrassing” and said she would not get special treatment.
“I don’t see there’s any conflict of interest,” the police chief added, per the outlet. “If it was a major case, we would turn it over to another agency, but this is a misdemeanor, and it’s pretty much cut and dried.”
The following day, the city council unanimously voted 5-0 to terminate Conner, WTVA reported. An investigation remains ongoing.
Daughtry continued: “We have a job to do, and we’re held to a higher standard. And the community is just starting to trust us, and to take this gut punch really hurts. That’s why we fulfilled our obligation, not only to the store but to the community,” according to WCBI.
Last year, a 48-year-old Florida cop was arrested for stealing items at Walmart’s self-check-out line. Upon reviewing store records and security footage, ABC Action News reported that employees found David Griffin committed the act several times. He was charged with five counts of retail petty theft and had to resign from his job.
