Columbus officer accused of improper encounters with women while on duty

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A federal grand jury has indicted a Columbus police officer who is accused of crimes related to turning off his body camera during encounters with women while on duty.

According to a release by the office of U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker, Nicholas Duty, 35, of Commercial Point was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of destroying or altering records related to a criminal investigation.

The indictment states that on two occasions Duty destroyed, altered or falsified records by purposefully deactivating or removing his police body-worn camera, with the alleged intention to impede, obstruct or influence a federal investigation.

Duty reportedly deactivated or removed his body-worn camera on Oct. 31 and March 22 during interactions with two women, including once during a sexual encounter. During these alleged incidents, Duty, while on duty, was wearing a police uniform and in a marked police vehicle with an assigned body-worn camera, which is required to comply with Columbus police policies for wearing division-issued cameras.

The U.S. Attorney's office said that knowingly altering records to obstruct a federal investigation is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Duty was hired by the Columbus Division of Police on Jan. 4, 2019, and his employee status remains active, according to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy portal.

According to personnel records, Duty was placed on leave March 24 based on the ongoing criminal investigation. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday at 12:45 p.m.