Off-duty Fort Worth sergeant accused of destroying evidence in case, police say
A Fort Worth police sergeant has been placed on restricted duty after the department received a complaint accusing him of destroying evidence, Fort Worth police said late Sunday.
Administrative and criminal investigations are underway against Sgt. Rodsdricke Martin, who is accused of getting rid of evidence while he was working off-duty last month.
Fort Worth police did not release any further details on the allegations.
Martin could not be reached for comment Monday. He has been stripped of all police powers pending the outcome of the investigations, police officials said late Sunday in a news release.
Martin joined the department in July 2006, according to police records, and worked as a narcotics officer.
“The Fort Worth Police Department takes these allegations very seriously and will work diligently to ensure that all facts are obtained and scrutinized closely,” according to a statement released by Fort Worth police.
The sergeant was the second officer in a week that the department has announced was placed on restricted duty and stripped of police powers.
Fort Worth Officer Ronnie Carey, 55, was booked into jail early Wednesday after he was accused of driving a police vehicle on duty while intoxicated. Carey did not respond to messages requesting comment.
Fort Worth police said Carey was assigned to the Special Events Unit in the Support Bureau and the investigation is ongoing. Carey faces a charge of DWI with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.15, records show. The legal BAC limit is less than 0.08.
Carey was booked into jail at 5:22 a.m. Wednesday and released on bond the same day, according to arrest records.
Fort Worth police spokesman Lt. Chris Daniels said while specifics of the incident are limited due to the ongoing investigations, “We can say that the moment FWPD officers became aware that he was under the influence, they immediately intervened and an investigation was initiated which led to his arrest shortly thereafter.”
Police said in an emailed statement Thursday the officer is accused of driving a police vehicle while drunk on Tuesday.
The officer was working in a “support services capacity” at the time and was not in a traditional police uniform or interacting with the public. The police report on the incident has not been released, but the records available online show the arrest occurred in north Fort Worth.
Carey is a 29-year veteran with the department, police said.
This report contains information from Fort Worth Star-Telegram archives.
This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 5:58 AM.
