Edgewater officer Daniel Rippeon put on administrative leave following arrest of CVS worker
Edgewater police Officer Daniel Rippeon, who arrested a CVS worker waiting for a ride home after getting off work, has been placed on administrative leave and is under investigation, the department said in a Facebook post.
The agency said Wednesday, June 4, that it is aware of the attention the arrest of Paul Wert has generated.
The department put out the announcement shortly after the State Attorney's Office said it was dropping the charge of obstructing an officer without violence Rippeon filed on Wert.
"Following the arrest of Wert, a formal internal affairs investigation was initiated. Officer Rippeon has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation," the department said in the post.
Wert, 22, an employee at the CVS at 1806 S. Ridgewood Ave, in Edgewater, was arrested on May 10 at 10:05 p.m. while sitting outside the closed business waiting for a Lyft transport to take him to his Daytona Beach home.
Rippeon, who was on patrol, wrote in an arrest report that he saw Wert trying to hide behind a pillar, a statement contradicted by body camera video showing Wert sitting on a bench.
The department says it is dedicated to keeping the public informed about the case.
"We are committed to providing our community with full transparency. Our department operates with the highest standards of accountability, and we are dedicated to keeping the public informed as additional details become available," the police agency said.
Rippeon was former DeLand police officer where he started in February 2019. In June of that same year, the city of DeLand honored him as a Hometown Hero for his military service. Rippeon served 6-1/2 years as an infantryman in the U.S. Army.
City of DeLand spokesman Chris Graham said Wednesday Rippeon had no disciplinary issues while at the DeLand Police Department.
Rippeon was sworn in as an Edgewater police officer in August 2022.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Edgewater officer put on leave following arrest of CVS worker
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