TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo police officer accused of buying marijuana while on duty in December pleaded not guilty to dereliction of duty on Friday in the Toledo Municipal Court.
Court documents say video shows Jeremy Berndt, 51, was buying marijuana on Dec. 3 at a dispensary not licensed by the state while wearing his department-issued police uniform and firearm, and arrived and left in his department-issued and marked police vehicle.
He was relieved of duty following the incident, according to a Toledo Police Department spokesperson.
According to TPD, the Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting an internal investigation alongside its criminal investigation.
Toledo police Chief Michael Troendle provided the following statement in a press release:
“It is an understatement to say that I was disappointed when I was informed that one of our officers was being investigated for criminal conduct. The community places great trust in the over 600 sworn officers of the Toledo Police Department to abide by and uphold the law. When an officer breaches that trust, they must be held accountable. We hold our officers to a high standard of personal and professional conduct, and that will always be the case under my administration.“
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