‘Are you single?’ After locking himself in the backseat with a female inmate, a California cop resigned

After a female suspect was discovered in the backseat of the San Diego Police Department officer’s patrol car, the officer resigned.

Officer Anthony Hair detained a woman on a bench warrant on August 14, 2023. Officer Hair took the woman from the Northern Division substation to the Las Colinas Detention Facility at 1:10 a.m. on August 15 in order to book her into jail.

An internal record states that Hair landed at Las Colinas at 1:33 a.m. He asked for another officer to meet him at the detention facility at 1:44 a.m. According to the paper, Hair contacted the other officer, instructing him to “come to his location as fast as he could, and he would explain the situation later.” Hair also asked for an extra key for a patrol car.

The policeman reached Hair’s place at 2:37 a.m. and opened the rear passenger side door. Hair was “running” out of the car.

The second officer, whose identity was withheld from the paper, stated that Hair had been monitoring his prisoner’s pulse during a medical emergency when the door unintentionally shut, trapping him and the female detainee in the backseat. According to the paper, Hair climbed into the back seat after opening the door across from where she was seated. Hair claimed that although he intended to keep the door open with his foot, it unintentionally closed.

In response to a question about whether he had worn a body camera, Hair stated he had switched it off and put it in the front seat of the patrol car when he got there.

The suspect refuted any claims of wrongdoing by the former Officer Hair during the interrogation. After being judged medically incompetent to be booked into jail, she was taken to a nearby hospital to receive treatment.

When Hair was questioned by two detectives the following day, he denied having had any intimate or sexual interactions with the suspect. He also informed detectives that he had switched off his body-worn camera throughout the interview. Every time I am about to arrive at my location, I have a practice of radioing that I am on scene. I always act in that way,” Hair was cited in the document. “Once inside, I attempted to turn on my camera. I noticed then that I wasn’t wearing it.”

Additionally, he informed detectives that although the camera had fallen off, the magnet attachment for it was still attached to his suit. He clarified that he got out of the car so fast that the camera struck the steering wheel and his uniform “popped off.”

Hair added in the interview that the reason he didn’t call paramedics was because the woman woke up and refused to be put on hold. According to him, he “got all the way into the back cabin to try to pull [her] into an upright seated position” because he believed the woman was overdosing because she was not answering his calls.

After the interview, Hair recorded a video demonstration of his movements. In addition, he gave permission for his truck and police locker to be searched, as well as his police outfits.

On August 17, the detective requested Hair for the magnet mount for his department-issued body-worn camera. Later, Hair told the police he had gotten legal counsel. The mount magnets and connection clasp were found to be in good working order and to be free of damage or defects after the camera and magnet count were examined. According to the investigators, “the body magnet mount possessed a very strong and secure locked position and would not fall off or become dislodged in any manner.”

Examining Hair’s camera footage, investigators released a selection of their exchanges.

Hair got into the driver’s seat of the patrol car at 38:13.

“Are you married?” the SUSPECT inquired of Hair at the 38:21 mark. The reply from Officer Hair was, “Why are you asking that?” The suspect’s response was unclear. “What do you mean?” asked Hair after that. I don’t mind at all.” Then the SUSPECT remarked, “You’re not too bad.”

Hair took over the wheel of the patrol car at 39:36.

Something really loud went off at 46:53. SUSPECT was queried by Hair, “What was that?” “Oh, that was the seatbelt, I’m laying down,” the suspect retorted.

Hair questioned the suspect at 47:08, asking, “What are you trying to do?” SUSPECT did not answer when asked. Hair enquired twice. “Did you unbuckle yourself?” The suspect answered, “I apologize; I didn’t hear you.” “I said, did you take your seatbelt off?” inquired Hair. SUSPECT moaned for the following ten seconds in a sexual way.

The suspect sighed once more at 47:30, saying, “Yeah baby.” SUSPECT moaned again, this time in a sensual way.

SUSPECT chuckled and said something incomprehensible at 47:56. Afterward, Hair said, “I’m not the mean one.”

Hair questioned whether she had identification at 48:14. She’d lost it, she told him.

Hair concluded the BWC recording at 49:05 as the patrol car pulled up to the headquarters’ entry gate.

An additional video clip was made available. This tape was made just when Hair was leaving the substation of Northern Division.

“Are you single?” the SUSPECT inquired of Hair at the 5:22 mark. Hair said, “Yeah.” After a brief moment, Hair said, “But you’re not.” Hair raised his right palm as a further declaration as he finished his first.

The document stated that after the two spoke for another two minutes, it was hard to understand them.

Hair said, “Hold on, I’ll tell you after,” at 7:16.

Around 9:15, Hair said, “a little bit.”

“Now that I can hear you,” said Hair at 9:19.

At 9:24, it seemed as though SUSPECT said, “I’m down to f*ck.” The reply from Hair was, “Don’t say that right now.” Hair said, “No, I said don’t say that right now because everything’s being recorded right now.”

Hair questioned the suspect at 10:08, saying, “You know that Las Colinas is in Santee, right?” For the next few minutes, neither Hair nor the SUSPECT said anything.

Hair enquired, “Are you still up?” at 15:04. It didn’t seem as though SUSPECT answered the question aloud. Hair continued asking her, “What’s going on?” and “Are you doing good back there?” but she never answered.

Hair shut off the BWC recording at 24:51 and made a right turn at a traffic signal.

Officer Hair left the department on September 14. Hair declared that he would not be taking part in the Subject Officer Interview that was set for the next day.

After Hair announced his resignation, the San Diego Police Department issued the following statement:

The San Diego Police Department is committed to investigating all claims and misbehavior. The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) of the department conducted a thorough investigation into this incident. The San Diego Police Department no longer employs the person.”