An Arnold police officer is accused of lying to investigators about an alleged hit-and-run crash involving his patrol vehicle.
Officer Ryan Clark allegedly damaged his squad car while on patrol and then told his supervisors it was hit by another vehicle on June 21, while in the parking lot of a Sunoco gas station in Arnold.
But surveillance video shows otherwise. KDKA-TV reports that Clark has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
Clark had notified Phil Huth, a New Kensington officer, of the alleged crash and claimed that the 7-11 workers he checked with said their outside cameras were down.
A few days later, New Kensington police acquired the footage of outside the store as well as from a nearby Dairy Queen and Union Cemetery.
The footage reportedly shows Clark pulling up to the gas station after leaving Union Cemetery. He then goes into the store and comes out four minutes later, only to pull off a piece of the damaged rocker panel on the passenger side.
He placed it on that side near the rear and then goes back into the store coming out with a customer this time as the two inspect the damage. The details of how the car was actually damaged haven't been released yet.
He now faces charges of making a false report and tampering with evidence.
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