a day ago
Police Officer Arrested at a Disney Resort and Charged in Connection with a Kidnapping
An Alabama police officer was arrested at a Disney resort in Florida in connection with a kidnapping
David Cunningham, 22, allegedly handcuffed and detained a man at a house party in Mississippi in May — a state and jurisdiction where he had no official police authority
Mississippi police issued a warrant for Cunningham's arrest, and he was located in Florida on June 3 and charged with one felony count of kidnappingA police officer was arrested at a Disney resort in Florida on accusations of kidnapping, per multiple reports and public arrest records.
David Cunningham, 22, of Mobile, Ala., was arrested in Orange County, Fla., on Tuesday, June 3, per Orange County Corrections Department public records.
Cunningham was taken into custody in Florida after a warrant was issued for his arrest following a May 24 incident in Harrison County, Miss., per The Independent. He was charged with one felony count of kidnapping.
According to the outlet, the Alabama police officer handcuffed a 21-year-old man at a house party in Mississippi and put him in the back of his squad car — despite the fact that Cunningham had no official authority outside of his home municipality of Prichard, Ala.
Cunningham allegedly handcuffed the man and put him in his Prichard County Police Department car after the man allegedly shot the homeowner's dog during a 'recreational gunfire' display, according to the Harrison County Sheriff's Office (HSCO), per local news outlet WKRG.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Cunningham allegedly then drove away from the party with the 21-year-old man handcuffed in his backseat and was stopped by the HSCO during a traffic stop shortly thereafter, per the outlet. Cunningham had his Prichard Police badge and weapon on him, according to authorities, WKRG reported.
While Cunningham was not detained at the time, a warrant was later issued for his arrest by the HSCO, which determined he had unlawfully detained the other man and that his actions technically constituted kidnapping, per WKRG.
The HSCO also put out a warrant for Kristin Allen, a passenger who was riding with Cunningham at the time, whom they say helped create and recount different versions of events to authorities and hindered prosecution, per the outlet.
Cunningham was ultimately located and arrested at a Disney resort on June 3. Allen turned herself in to authorities in Mississippi on June 2, according to WKRG.
The Prichard County Police Department — Cunningham's employer at the time of the May incident — released a statement regarding Cunningham's arrest, Fox 10 reported. In the statement, they claim that they became aware of Cunningham's involvement in the out-of-state incident on June 2.
'We are currently awaiting an investigative report from the Harrison County Sheriff's Office to gain a clearer understanding of the circumstances. It has been brought to our attention that Officer Cunningham was operating a city vehicle across state lines at the time of the incident, which is a potential violation of departmental policy,' the statement reads, per Fox 10.
'In response, our department has initiated an internal investigation to review any and all policies that may have been violated in connection with this situation. We take these matters seriously and are committed to ensuring full accountability and transparency throughout the process,' the police department added.
PEOPLE reached out to the Prichard Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff's Office and Orange County Sheriff's Office for comment on Saturday, June 7, but did not receive an immediate response.
According to WJTV, Cunningham is currently being held in Florida on a bond of $500,000 and is awaiting extradition to Mississippi.
Read the original article on People
