A Prince George County, Maryland, police officer has been placed on leave following a viral video showing him kissing a woman before joining her in the backseat of his police car. According to The Baltimore Banner, the department opened an investigation on Sept. 5 after it became aware that footage of Francesco Marlett embracing and kissing a woman was circulating.
The department posted on an official department news account on X, formerly Twitter.
“PGPD Executive Command is aware of a video circulating on social media with one of our officers. As soon as we became aware earlier today, we opened an investigation to determine the circumstances. Additional information will be released once investigated and confirmed,” the post read.
Update: the officer has been identified. His police powers are now suspended as the investigation continues. https://t.co/hzDdUZuNzm
— PGPDNEWS (@PGPDNews) September 5, 2023
Nelson O, who chose not to disclose his last name to the Banner out of fear of retaliation, said he filmed the video while he was in Carson Park with his family to play soccer because something didn’t seem right about the officer’s actions. Nelson observed a young woman pull up, whom he assumed was in her 20s, and that’s what prompted him to record. He says that after about 40 minutes, the two exited the back of the officer’s marked patrol car and went their separate ways.
#BREAKING @PGPDNews has suspended Officer Francesco Marlett for an incident with a woman captured in a viral video. This is the second suspension for the officer this year. He was previously charged with child abuse in 2016. Those charges were dropped and his record expunged. pic.twitter.com/6pqeKeILCa
— Brad Bell (@Brad7News) September 5, 2023
Nelson said, “It was concerning because there’s kids around. It just seemed off because this is the person that you’re supposed to call for suspicious activity doing the suspicious activity, you know.”
This is not Marlett’s first time being suspended, however. In December 2015, he was suspended without pay for knocking his girlfriend’s three-year-old son unconscious while spanking him. His girlfriend entered the room to discover Marlett performing CPR on her son.
RELATED CONTENT: Arizona Police Officer Suspended After Holding Black Hotel Employee at Gunpoint While Looking for White Suspect
