WOMAN SAYS BRADENTON POLICE TRADED MONEY, DRUGS FOR SEX

BRADENTON - On May 30, a woman in jail on prostitution charges was
pulled from her cell by a Bradenton police internal affairs officer
and taken to police headquarters, according to jail records.

For three hours, Dawn Marie Gibson said she described to the
investigators how she had sex numerous times with on-duty Bradenton
police officers in a patrol car, at a substation and in alleyways.

She said the officers gave her money and crack cocaine and offered her
protection from arrest in exchange for the sex acts. The head of the
police department's internal affairs division acknowledged that Gibson
was taken from jail and interviewed.

The day after the interview, Bradenton officer William Anderson
resigned. Two days later, officer Larry Pritchett resigned.

At about that time, decorated undercover agent Pete Biddlecome took a
leave of absence. He resigned five weeks later, despite a service
record that included recognition as officer of the year.

For weeks, Police Chief Michael Radzilowski refused to discuss Gibson,
her allegations or even whether there was a formal investigation into
the actions of Anderson or Pritchett. Radzilowski has long said there
is an active internal affairs investigation regarding Biddlecome.

On Friday, the chief acknowledged that Gibson was interviewed and he
said that at least some of her statements about having sex with
officers are believed to be true.

Radzilowski said Pritchett and Anderson were never under formal
investigation because they resigned before supervisors could initiate
an inquiry into possible misconduct. Biddlecome resigned after the
inquiry was started.

Anderson and Pritchett did not make statements to police officials;
Biddlecome made a statement, addressing an allegation of misconduct
that happened two years ago, police said.

All three officers, who cited "personal reasons" as the impetus for
their resignations, worked in a street crimes unit that targets
low-level offenses such as drug peddling and prostitution.

Gibson, 30, is an admitted prostitute and drug addict who has been
arrested four times in the past seven months and recently gave up her
four children for adoption. Gibson said she came to know the officers
involved after an officer approached her about becoming an informant,
an offer she says she refused.

Police often rely on confidential informants -- snitches -- to get
inside information about drug and prostitution rings.

Jail logs confirm that on May 30, Gibson was taken from jail and
interviewed by police internal affairs officials for a few hours.

Gibson said she was given a polygraph test by investigators, and was
asked a series of yes or no questions about police harassment and
providing sexual favors.

Lt. Warren Merriman, the head of internal affairs, confirmed that the
test was given but would not reveal the results.

In interviews with the Herald-Tribune, Gibson's description of the
encounters with officers was highly detailed and specific as to what
happened, when and where, and with whom. She said she came forward
with her allegations because she was fearful of retaliation from the
officers involved.

Radzilowski has questioned Gibson's credibility, saying that some of
her statements have been proved to be false.

Also, Radzilowski said any possible criminal behavior would be
forwarded to the state attorney's office in Bradenton. The Florida
Department of Law Enforcement, he said, will review the internal
affairs investigation on Biddlecome.

He said Friday he was convinced that the scope of the investigation is
limited to the three officers who have resigned.

Gibson said she had intercourse with officers on five occasions while
the men were on duty.

She also claimed she had oral sex once with an officer in his car. She
said she told internal affairs investigators that the acts occurred in
unmarked cars in alleyways or in Bradenton parking lots, and said she
once had intercourse with an officer on a metal chair in the Safe
Streets substation.

Gibson claimed an officer once had oral sex with her and gave her five
pieces of crack cocaine.

She said the men offered to protect Gibson and her friends, looking
the other way if they were caught up in undercover stings along
Tamiami Trail. When she turned down the offer to be a confidential
informant, Gibson said the officers remained persistent.

She claimed that officers tailed her to her mother's house in the
Manatee Woods apartment complex, picked her up outside motels and
drove her to remote parts of the city. Her mother, Judy Dillon, said
she saw officers' cars parked outside her home.

Some of the officers, Gibson said, wanted sex and promised to "make
old warrants go away" while protecting her from future arrests.

The existence of an internal investigation was drawn into court last
month when a defense attorney in Bradenton, Steve Michaels, questioned
Anderson's credibility.

Anderson testified in a drug case without disclosing anything about an
ongoing investigation of misconduct, and Michaels wanted to know if
"rumors" about the investigation would have made the officer less
believable to a jury.

The attorney said police would not tell him about the nature of the
investigation, and he asked Circuit Judge Diana Moreland not to
sentence his client until the allegations were discussed in court.
Moreland obliged the request.

Moreland agreed and will force police officials to say why the
investigation should remain confidential. A hearing is set for later
this month.

But Radzilowski said Friday he expected the internal affairs papers to
be released before the hearing. Internal investigations, he said, are
routinely carried out even after an officer has resigned.