Only Ones prosecuting their own

In a sort of turn around from the last two stories I’ve run in this week-long series; I want to focus on an incident where the “good cops” did in fact do the right thing and prosecute “one of their own”.   In this particular case, a now ex-cop (he was a cop at the time of the crimes) was convicted of multiple counts of rape and sentenced to 440 years in prison.

Pelo has been jailed since his June 2006 arrest outside a woman’s home. Another Bloomington officer spotted Pelo outside the home late on June 11, 2006, after the woman reported a prowler.

The focus of my Only Ones series has so far been to focus on the good done by cops; that doesn’t change with this story.  Former Officer Pelo is a scumbag, and I personally hope he rots in jail for the rest of his miserable life – the officer who turned him in on the other hand deserves kudos for doing his job, and getting a rapist off the street.

I have said repeatedly through this series that I am the first person to decry police misconduct, and this case is no different – I have also maintained that assertions that good cops do not in fact cover up for the bad apples; and that would appear to be reinforced by this particular case.  The bad apple was investigated, arrested, prosecuted, and ultimately convicted by the system that the nay-sayers says “protects” him.

Congrats to the unnamed Bloomington cop – it’s a hell of a collar for you.