Officer was on Duty When He Made Threat
MONTEREY COUNTY—Monterey County District Attorney Dean D. Flippo has announced that the first police officer in the King City Police Corruption Scandal has entered a plea of ‘no contest’.
Sergeant Mark Baker was one of six officers involved in a corruption scandal that rocked the little own of King City, though his case is not related to the others. Baker will be formally sentenced on March 18, 2015, but when he is sentenced he will receive five years probation with the condition that he not posses any firearms.
On August 19, 2013, then Sergeant Baker’s personal truck had been stolen. It was recovered three days later after being stripped. Baker, while on duty, located the thief at a King City Hotel and confronted him. “Baker threatened him by telling the suspect that he was going to ‘make him disappear and not to jail’.” A representative from the District Attorney’s Office paraphrased.
Baker was in uniform and armed when he made this threat so the suspect believed him. He then confessed to possessing the items stolen from the truck. But the confession was obtained illegally because Baker did not Mirandize him.
Baker gave the suspect a deadline of two hours to return the stuff, even down to the $40.00 in gas that was used. After the suspect returned the stolen items Baker did not arrest him, nor did he file a police report.
The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Investigators John Ferreria and Roy Diaz and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
Read More:
Monterey County Now: King City Police Sgt. Mark Baker pleads no contest to misdemeanor charge in plea deal
KSBW: King City police Sgt. Baker pleads no contest to false imprisonment
