[FL] Officer Alspaugh - felony jealousy

...The motive may have involved Alspaugh's suspicion that Donald Hardwick was seeing his girlfriend.... Hardwick also told deputies Alspaugh first started harassing him on the Myspace Internet site with messages accusing Hardwick of seeing Alspaugh's girlfriend... Alspaugh told deputies he tried to talk to Hardwick but the man wouldn't open the fence...

Tampa Officer Facing Charge
The Ledger, FL
By Jeremy Maready
November 20, 2008
A Tampa police officer was arrested after being accused of causing $1,600 in damage by smashing the front of his sport utility vehicle into a North Lakeland man's cast iron fence early Thursday morning, according to Polk County Sheriff's Office reports. Tampa Officer Lawrence Alspaugh II, 32, who lives in Lakeland, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief of more than $1,000, a third-degree felony, arrest reports said. The motive may have involved Alspaugh's suspicion that Donald Hardwick was seeing his girlfriend. After Tampa police officials learned of the arrest, Alspaugh was relieved of duty without pay Thursday and the department's disciplinary process began, said Laura McElroy, a spokeswoman for the department. "The penalty could be up to termination," she said. Lakeland police reported Alspaugh began ramming the fence, four or five times, with his Nissan SUV at Hardwick's home at 5221 Deeson Road early Thursday. Calls to Hardwick were not returned Thursday. Hardwick told deputies he suspected the culprit was Alspaugh, who he knew was a Tampa officer, officials said. Hardwick also told deputies Alspaugh first started harassing him on the Myspace Internet site with messages accusing Hardwick of seeing Alspaugh's girlfriend, said Carrie Eleazer, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. After ramming the fence, Alspaugh left the home and headed east on Deeson Road and Hardwick called deputies, reports said. On a traffic stop, Alspaugh told deputies he had been to Hardwick's home to talk to him, but Hardwick would not open the fence, according to an arrest affidavit. Alspaugh told deputies the push bumper on his SUV became jammed in the fence, reports said. Alspaugh was hired by the Tampa department in November 2003 and works the midnight shift as a patrol officer, McElroy said. He is paid about $55,000 a year. According to Tampa police records, Alspaugh has received two reprimands for failure to comply with department policy, which were recorded in 2006 and earlier this year. [ Jeremy Maready can be reached at jeremy.maready@theledger.com or 863-802-7592. [LINK]

Tampa Officer Charged With Ramming Fence
TBO.com
November 20, 2008
[Excerpts] ...Hardwick heard someone ramming his cast-iron fence in the 5200 block of Deeson Road about 12:30 a.m. When Hardwick looked outside, according to the affidavit, he saw Alspaugh's car run into the fence four or five times, causing about $1,600 damage. Hardwick called deputies, who stopped Alspaugh on Kathleen Road two minutes later... Alspaugh told deputies he tried to talk to Hardwick but the man wouldn't open the fence. Alspaugh said he then pushed his bumper against it and it became stuck... [Full article here]