For the second time this year, Anderson Police Chief Dale Webb announced Monday that he had just discharged a police officer. Matthew Goodwin, 28, an officer with the city for four years, turned in his badge at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 25, Webb said.
Chief Webb said no further information about Goodwin’s discharge will be released, as personnel matters of the department must be held confidential, he said in a telephone interview later on Monday.
Goodwin was placed on administrative leave with pay in June along with former officer Bryan Benson following allegations that Benson had raped a woman whom he was transporting to the Shasta County Jail on May 29. Upon returning from the jail, Benson allegedly told Goodwin of his sexual encounter. Goodwin kept the matter quiet for several days despite both a criminal and an internal investigation of the charges. Both officers were under investigation, Webb has said.
Goodwin was on duty when Benson, working undercover but in full police uniform, allegedly offered to transport a woman in Goodwin's custody to Redding for booking. Benson arrived at the jail with the woman a full 10 minutes after he had radioed his dispatcher that he was at the jail. The time difference alerted sheriff's deputies to further check the claims being made by the victim, police logs show.
After returning from the jail, Benson allegedly told Goodwin that he had sex with the woman on the way to the jail, according to a Redding Police Department investigative report. Despite on-going investigations, Goodwin said nothing of Benson's statement until he eventually told fellow officers about Benson’s alleged statement on June 2, just one day before Goodwin met with investigators June 3, District Attorney Jerry Benito said.
Benito has declined to press criminal charges against Goodwin. Benson was discharged by Webb on Aug. 20 and faces a jury trial in Shasta County Superior Court on Monday, Feb. 8, 2011.
Although Goodwin has been discharged, he still has the option to appeal that discharge, Webb said.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 1
nick1217 writes:
Both of these guys are scum bags much worse than most of the people they arrest. Goodwin is a turd and should be banished to prison for withholding critical information about his buddy. Shame on you APD golden boy. APD you live up to your reputation once again. Maybe you should start completely over.
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