Kissing cop faces termination after 22 charges found guilty
- Francesco Marlett faced an administrative hearing board on November 15, 2024, after being caught on video engaging in inappropriate conduct in September 2023.
- The board found him guilty of 22 charges, including how his actions directly affected his emergency response times.
- The hearing board has recommended that Marlett be fired, pending a decision from the police chief.
In September 2023, a Prince George's County police officer named Francesco Marlett became embroiled in controversy after a video surfaced of him in uniform kissing a woman in a local park. This incident led to an administrative hearing which took place on November 15, 2024, approximately 14 months later, where a board found him guilty of 22 different charges. The charges were serious enough to warrant a recommendation for termination of his employment. Allegations included the impact of his personal conduct on his professional duties, specifically that his encounters with the woman caused delays in responding to emergency calls. During one instance, he reportedly took nine minutes to respond to a call. Additionally, Marlett's previous legal troubles, including a 2016 indictment for child abuse, were brought up in the hearing. The board's recommendation to terminate Marlett's employment now awaits action from the Prince George's County Police Chief, but he retains the right to appeal this decision, leaving the final outcome uncertain.