A detention officer with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office has been fired after he was charged with second-degree rape. According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Vanquez DeVonte Petty, 31, met the 19-year-old woman the morning of February 28 and exchanged phone numbers.
They did not know each other before that. Police say Petty arranged to meet her at her home later that evening.
The woman told police after he arrived that evening, he sexually assaulted her. She went to the hospital for treatment. Petty has also been charged with second-degree sexual assault. CMPD says the incident did not occur when Petty was on duty.
“As a public safety organization, all employees of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office are required to demonstrate professional and ethical conduct both on and off-duty. Any misconduct or violation of the law will not be tolerated,” said the sheriff’s office in a statement.