Police Officer jailed on rape, assault and kidnapping charges
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – A San Diego police officer was jailed Wednesday on suspicion of rape, assault, kidnapping and other felony charges, one day after the city’s top cop publicly apologized for a recent rash of misconduct cases involving members of his department and pledged to put a stop to such behavior.
Daniel Edward Dana, a four-year member of the San Diego Police Department, was booked into county jail Wednesday afternoon. He has resigned from his position.
The charges involve alleged on-duty acts committed early Wednesday morning against a 34-year-old prostitute that Dana, 26, had recently befriended, SDPD officials reported.
The woman reported that she agreed to meet with Dana about 3 a.m. on his suggestion, sent via text message, officials said. They went to Presidio Park, where the officer allegedly forced her to have sex with him by threatening to arrest her if she refused.
Afterward, the woman reported what allegedly had happened, and the officer was questioned, arrested and fired from his job.
Dana was booked on suspicion of multiple rape counts, kidnapping for purposes of rape, assault by a peace officer and oral copulation under threat of authority. He was being held without bail pending arraignment on Friday.
On Tuesday, Chief William Lansdowne and his top command staff held a news conference to address what he called an “unprecedented number” of accusations of impropriety or criminal behavior on the part of SDPD personnel over the last three months – 10 cases total, six of which have resulted in arrests of officers.
“I want to personally apologize to every citizen of the city of San Diego, as this behavior is not expected, nor condoned by me or anyone in the San Diego Police Department,” Lansdowne said.
Promising to do everything possible to regain citizens’ confidence and “repair the damage done,” he outlined a seven-step program with a goal of “greatly reducing future incidents” of wrongdoing.
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