A Tulsa police officer has resigned after being arrested for first-degree rape.
Police Chief Wendell Franklin said Friday that Officer Deangelo Reyes saw the victim walking her dog Apr. 17 while he was on duty and in uniform. He identified himself as “Eric” and took her phone number.
Later, Reyes used his department computer to access her information, then went to the hotel where she was staying and threatened her.
“He told her it wouldn’t take much to put a person like her back in prison because he had seen her record by running her, and she was frightened. She was fearful of what would transpire,” said Franklin.
Though the rape allegedly occurred in April, Franklin said his department became aware of it this week. When asked about the delay, Franklin said the victim was frightened and reluctant but he acknowledged a gap in the investigation.
“We are still actively investigating this so I do not want to reveal all of the details about how we came about this particular incident,” said Franklin.
Franklin said Reyes did not have a documented disciplinary history in his five years as an officer, but he encouraged anyone else who may have been victimized by Reyes to come forward.
Franklin said he and others on the force want to hold officers who are bad actors accountable, but that the police will "make mistakes.”
