Officer accused of freeing suspect in swap for sex
In any police department, there are those who serve with valor, distinction, and bravery. Unfortunately, there are also those who seek out opportunities to take advantage of their position. HPD Officer Lance William Elliott, sadly, seems to be one of those bent on taking advantage of their position.
A veteran Houston police officer allowed a shoplifting suspect at a Heights-area grocery store to go free in mid-September in exchange for sex, according to Harris County court records.
Officer Lance William Elliott, 34, was charged Tuesday with three counts of improper sexual activity with a person in custody and one count of tampering with a government record. The Alvin resident was released from jail Wednesday after posting an $8,000 bond for the felony charges....
The incident occurred Sept. 17 when Elliott, assigned to the department's central patrol division, was called to investigate a shoplifting incident at a Kroger supermarket in the 1000 block of North Shepherd.
In the police report Elliott later filed, he said a store employee told him a woman triggered security alarms when she tried to walk out the front door without paying for merchandise. He then noted that she went back into the store after the alarms sounded and was detained by the employee.
Detectives investigating the accusations against the 11-year HPD veteran got a different story, however, when they questioned the store worker.
"He told Elliott that when he attempted to investigate and detain (the suspect) for shoplifting, she ran down the sidewalk and attempted to escape him by getting into a car that appeared to have been waiting for her," according to the court document.
"He told Elliott that (the woman) returned to the store only when he detained her and escorted her back."
The woman was being held when Elliott arrived. He took her into custody, placed her in handcuffs and left the scene....
Instead of taking the woman to jail after her arrest, the officer parked behind a warehouse, according to the court report.
"She talked to Elliott about releasing her and his response was, `What's in it for me?' " the document stated.
She told investigators Elliott removed her handcuffs and then asked her to lift her shirt. She then performed oral sex on him and the two engaged in sexual intercourse, according to the court document.
"She stated in her sworn affidavit that after he had sexual intercourse with her, (Elliott) took her to a friend's house and released her," the court document stated.
Our collection of DUMASSES come in all shapes, sizes, and now colors. This one just happens to be blue. There are few things more detestable than a dirty cop. As a society, we entrust our safety and security to those in law enforcement. When someone charged with this duty abuses the trust placed in him, we are all poorer for it. Elliott has certainly gone above and beyond the minimum daily requirements for demonstrating his worthiness of being called a DUMASS- not that this is anything to be proud of.
Let's just hope that, when Elliott is convicting of official misconduct and sent to the Big House, he is released into the general prison population. With any luck, he'll find out what it's like to be on the receiving end of sexual abuse.
