Tampa Police Chief placed on administrative leave after traffic stop

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor is facing controversy after a video of a traffic stop surfaced. O’Connor has been placed on administrative leave after the video appeared to show her and a passenger being pulled over in a golf cart without a license plate outside of a residential neighborhood.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced Friday that she has placed O’Connor on administrative leave. Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw will serve as acting chief pending the outcome of the investigation.

Police Chief Mary O'Connor has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into a recent traffic stop. Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw is serving as acting chief.
— Jane Castor (@JaneCastor) December 2, 2022

The bodycam footage show O’Connor and her husband on Nov. 12 in an unlicensed golf cart. O’Connor can be heard asking the deputy if his body camera is on.

Following that, O’Connor tells the deputy she’s the Tampa police chief and flashes her credentials.

O’Connor has since apologized for what she called “poor judgment.”

Mayor Castor said that O’Connor “will go through the due process and face appropriate discipline” in an earlier statement.

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