Former CMU police officer charged with misconduct

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A former Central Michigan University Police officer has been charged with misconduct in office by the Isabella County Procecutor’s Office.

Jeffrey Card was arraigned on a felony which could result in up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Card was arrested and arraigned Wednesday morning and was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick said the allegation arose from an incident in the morning hours of Sept. 11 while Card was on duty. The incident occurred when Card was giving two female Central Michigan University seniors a ride home.

According to published reports, Card is accused of driving two 21-year-old women from O’Kelly’s Sports Bar & Grill, 2000 S. Mission St., to a remote dirt road. One of the girls asked to be dropped off at her boyfriend’s house on South Main Street, which Card agreed to after going on a nuisance party call.

Instead, it is alleged Card drove them to a “desolate dirt road,” where Card told the two girls he was going to give them portable breath tests, and if the test results were higher than a certain limit, the two girls would have to expose their bare chests. The two girls agreed, and they exposed their bare chests after the test results proved higher than Card’s set limit.

After the two girls put their clothes on, they agreed to pose for a photograph on the back of Card’s patrol car, which investigators later found on Card’s cell phone.

CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley said Card was placed on suspension immediately, pending the outcome of the investigation.

“I’m extremely disappointed in the allegations made about the Sept. 11 incident,” Yeagley said. “The allegation could not reflect the high standard of professional conduct, (to) which our officers hold themselves every day.”

Card resigned from the CMU Police Department and the university on Sept. 16.

Card’s next court hearing is a preliminary examination on Thursday, which is really just a conference between the prosecutor and the defendant’s lawyer, Burdick said.

Misconduct of office requires proof that the accused was a public officer at the time of the act, and in the performance of his official duties or under the color of his office, acted with a corrupt intent when performing a wrongful act.

Burdick said he couldn’t recall ever having even charged this particular crime before.

“It’s a very rare situation with officers, and I’ve been working with officers for 30 years now,” Burdick said. “It’s something I almost never see.”

Yeagley said CMU Police officers are sworn to uphold the law, and are required to follow all the policies and procedures at the university and the police department.

“We strive to provide exceptional law enforcement, as well as to create a safe and secure environment for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors,” Yeagley said.

CMU Police were assisted by the Mount Pleasant Police Department, and continues to cooperate with the procecutor’s office, said Yeagley.

“This is a very rare incidence,” Yeagley said. “This is not a common occurrence.”