Jeannette police officer charged with tampering with public records — Police lights.

Jeannette, PA — A Jeannette police officer has been charged with 18 misdemeanor counts of tampering with public records following an investigation by Westmoreland County detectives. Officer Matthew Painter, of Irwin, was charged on October 8 after County Detective Jenna Derco found discrepancies in his traffic enforcement activities.

The investigation was initiated in July when the Jeannette Police Chief contacted the Westmoreland County Detective Bureau, citing inconsistencies in Painter’s traffic contacts. Painter, who operates a marked police vehicle equipped with GPS and cameras, was found to have entered 18 traffic contacts that detectives believe were falsified between June 18 and July 1, 2024.

Detectives discovered that several of Painter’s traffic stops did not align with the timestamps or location data from his vehicle’s GPS. Additionally, the body-worn cameras and vehicle cameras, which activate when emergency lights are engaged, were not turned on during many of the stops. In one instance, footage showed Painter inside the police station during a time when he had reported conducting a traffic stop.

Further investigation revealed that individuals allegedly involved in these stops confirmed they had not been pulled over by Painter as claimed in the reports. The case is ongoing, with Painter facing multiple charges related to the alleged falsification of police records.

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