Former Grapevine Police Officer is Charged With Evidence Tampering

The behavior of police officers has come under scrutiny in recent months in Missouri, New York and Baltimore.

While Texas has not seen high profile cases like these places, there is no shortage of scandals involving police in the Lone Star State. Recently, the Star-Telegram reported on how a former Grapevine police officer who admitted to taking and ingesting K-9 training narcotics, has been indicted on a tampering with physical evidence charge.

The Star-Telegram reported on how 49-year-old Danny Macchio, was charged with tampering with physical evidence and abuse of official capacity as well as misuse of government property.

A grand jury in Tarrant County indicted the officer on the first charge, which is a third-degree felony.

The news report stated the senior officer who had been with the department for 17 years, reported to Fort Worth police on Oct. 7 last year that his patrol car had been burglarized at his home in Fort Worth. He said that training narcotics and a personal firearm that were in the vehicle were missing.

The report said the officer later confessed to taking the narcotics himself and ingesting some of them, police said. Macchio also surrendered the missing case of narcotics and his firearm that he reported stolen.

Macchio had taken part in many K-9/drug competitions. He was placed on administrative leave from Grapevine PD in October, but he resigned at a later date.

Macchio posted $1,500 bail in December after his arrest in Weatherford.

In the past a number of Dallas police officers have been indicted by grand juries. Last year the Dallas Morning News reported how a Dallas County grand jury voted to indict Cardan Spencer, a former Dallas police officer, in connection with an on-duty shooting.

Spencer was indicted after shooting Bobby Bennett, a mentally ill man, outside his mother’s home. Bennett was wielding a knife. He had originally been charged with aggravated assault on a public servant until a neighbor’s surveillance video showed Bennett “standing still with his arms — and the knife — at his side,” the Dallas Morning News reported.

The grand jury vote came shortly after a grand jury’s vote to indict former Senior Cpl. Amy Wilburn over the shooting of an unarmed carjacking suspect.

The Dallas Police Department is said to be testing field-testing body cameras. This has become a key issue after the fatal shooting of Freddie Gray that sparked riots in Baltimore. Six officers were suspended and later charged over the death.

Police officers can’t always be trusted to be truthful and honest. If you have been charged with a crime you should hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to expose flaws in the case that has been brought against you.