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West Palm Beach Police patrolman at the heart of a new steroid scandal at the agency has been identified by law enforcement sources as 20-year veteran Dewitt McDonald, an officer with a long history of work-related trouble and more than a dozen suspensions!It’s another Gossip Extra exclusive: Two weeks ago, we revealed how federal authorities were in the midst of a major investigation into the use of steroids by police officers and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies.
Now, we can reveal that McDonald, 45, is on leave with pay while he helps the Drug Enforcement Agency dismantle a network that specializes in the illegal distribution of steroids!
WPB PD honchos only admit that McDonald is on leave while not commenting on the reasons.
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But I’m told by two sources familiar with the investigation that McDonald agreed to help the feds after getting caught with a stash of the muscle growth hormones in his police car!
DEA agents, and since recently, agents with the Food and Drug Administration, are mostly interested in those from whom McDonald allegedly bought his stuff.
They also suspect McDonald may have been selling to other officers.
One suspension after the next
A detailed look at McDonald’s employment record by Gossip Extra today showed how McDonald was punished more than 30 times over the past two decades.
“There’s no doubt this guy shouldn’t be a cop,” said one officer who asked not to be named. “But for some reason, he stayed on after messing up two or three times a year!”
In many cases, his punishment for things like not reporting use of force incidents or skipping traffic court included a written reprimand.
In other cases, there were lengthy suspensions, including one for 56 days without pay!
Previous steroid scandal
Just last year, McDonald was suspended for a total 72 hours for using undue force on a motorist, locking himself out of his squad car parked outside his assigned zone and responding to an emergency call one hour after he was assigned the call.
By the way, McDonald, who couldn’t be contacted for comment, did serve an eight-hour suspension in 2007 for the illegal use of steroids.
He was among 14 West Palm Beach cops investigated for beefing up with hormones that weren’t properly prescribed. Thirteen were suspended.
Internal Affairs boss Cap. Sarah Mooneydeclined comment, saying that the McDonald investigation is not handled by WPB PD.
When handled without medical supervision, some steroids are known to cause some individuals to become unusually aggressive.
Now, we can reveal that McDonald, 45, is on leave with pay while he helps the Drug Enforcement Agency dismantle a network that specializes in the illegal distribution of steroids!WPB PD honchos only admit that McDonald is on leave while not commenting on the reasons.
– Get the news hours before TV, days before The Palm Beach Post: Click to register for the alerts
But I’m told by two sources familiar with the investigation that McDonald agreed to help the feds after getting caught with a stash of the muscle growth hormones in his police car!
DEA agents, and since recently, agents with the Food and Drug Administration, are mostly interested in those from whom McDonald allegedly bought his stuff.
They also suspect McDonald may have been selling to other officers.
One suspension after the next
A detailed look at McDonald’s employment record by Gossip Extra today showed how McDonald was punished more than 30 times over the past two decades.
“There’s no doubt this guy shouldn’t be a cop,” said one officer who asked not to be named. “But for some reason, he stayed on after messing up two or three times a year!”
In many cases, his punishment for things like not reporting use of force incidents or skipping traffic court included a written reprimand.
In other cases, there were lengthy suspensions, including one for 56 days without pay!
Previous steroid scandal
Just last year, McDonald was suspended for a total 72 hours for using undue force on a motorist, locking himself out of his squad car parked outside his assigned zone and responding to an emergency call one hour after he was assigned the call.
By the way, McDonald, who couldn’t be contacted for comment, did serve an eight-hour suspension in 2007 for the illegal use of steroids.
He was among 14 West Palm Beach cops investigated for beefing up with hormones that weren’t properly prescribed. Thirteen were suspended.
Internal Affairs boss Cap. Sarah Mooneydeclined comment, saying that the McDonald investigation is not handled by WPB PD.
When handled without medical supervision, some steroids are known to cause some individuals to become unusually aggressive.
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