A jury found former Lincoln Police Officer Gregory Cody guilty of first degree sexual assault.Cody was accused of assaulting a woman he met while on duty.
Cody says the two did meet while he was on a call and that a relationship did develop dating back to 2017. The victim claims many of the acts happened while Cody was on duty, an accusation he denies. He also disputes the number of times he and the victim had encounters. His attorney argued that the acts were consensual as there were several encounters.
The victim has a history of depression and suicidal behavior and has had previous run-ins with the law.
The trial took a week and a half.Cody will be sentenced on August 29th and faces up to 50 years in prison.
The following statement was released by Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister:
A Lancaster County jury rendered its verdict in the 1st Degree Sexual Assault trial of Gregory Cody.
The Lincoln Police Department does not tolerate employee conduct that violates our general orders, code of ethics and in general, our philosophy of policing in partnership with the public.
From the moment that the Lincoln Police Department became aware of the criminal allegations against Gregory Cody, we fully cooperated with the Nebraska State Patrol's investigation and the criminal justice process. In addition, LPD immediately placed then Officer Cody on investigative supervision and initiated an internal investigation.
Cody resigned two days later but LPD continued its internal process. The Lincoln Police Department's internal investigation found that Cody had violated LPD's policies and Code of Ethics as well as failed to protect a vulnerable member of our community.
The Lincoln Police Department provided numerous updates to the public about its internal investigation in 2017 and 2018. Moreover, LPD also solicited input from community leaders in Lincoln. We analyzed our vetting practices, including the background investigation process, psychological exam and polygraph. In response to the investigative findings, LPD enhanced supervisory oversight, modified its General Orders and re-affirmed expectations with personnel about ethical and professional conduct in every aspect of their duties and responsibilities. LPD also mandated training for all personnel concerning ethical interaction with those we serve, as well as expand future ongoing education.
The actions of one person do not define the cornerstones of our department's culture, namely, dedicated public service, community partnerships and fair and impartial policing.