[FL] Lt. Schrader charged with (escalating) stalking of his ex-wife

...she received an anonymous text message that read: "I told you we are watching out for the lieutenant... To have a lawyer do this to him is insulting to the thin blue line"...

..."The suspect has committed actions with the obvious intent to annoy, insult, and degrade her, to include creating a well founded fear in the victim that the suspect's actions are escalating"...

POLICE OFFICER CHARGED WITH STALKING EX-WIFE The Ledger
By Jeremy Maready jeremy.maready@theledger.com
October 22, 2008
A Lakeland police lieutenant was charged with stalking his ex-wife last week following an investigation by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the State Attorney's Office. Lt. Ralph Schrader, 44, was charged Oct. 14 by the State Attorney's Office... Schrader, who is assigned to LPD's criminal investigations section, was hired by the department on Feb. 4, 1991. On Wednesday, Schrader reported to work as usual, said LPD spokeswoman Sgt. Terri Smith... From August 2007 through last month, PCSO investigators reported several cases of Schrader's stalking his ex-wife... Schrader's ex-wife claimed that he would follow her at close distances using his unmarked patrol car, make harassing phone calls, send threatening text messages and repeatedly cause verbal arguments, reports said. In another incident, the former wife claimed that her car had been keyed while in the Target parking lot in South Lakeland. A short time later, she received an anonymous text message that read: "I told you we are watching out for the lieutenant. He will not call you. Why hide your affair? To have a lawyer do this to him is insulting to the thin blue line." The most recent incident, dated Sept. 14, Schrader started an argument with his former wife's friend at the friend's apartment in South Lakeland. According to PCSO reports, the incident escalated to the point where Schrader's ex-wife thought she was going to be attacked. That incident is being investigated by LPD, reports said. Another internal investigation involving Schrader, not related to these incidents, is also being conducted by LPD investigators, Smith said. Details about the second investigation have not been released. "Based on the above information, it is clear that the suspect (Schrader) has intended to cause the victim severe emotional distress," PCSO Detective Paul Dunn said in the affidavit. "The suspect has committed actions with the obvious intent to annoy, insult, and degrade her, to include creating a well founded fear in the victim that the suspect's actions are escalating." Schrader has been charged with one count of stalking, a misdemeanor. He will be notified of the charge with a court summons, Smith said... [Full article here]