Whitman Police Officers Cleared Of Misconduct

WHITMAN (CBS) – Two Whitman police officers have been cleared of misconduct and returned to duty.

The officers were investigated for misconduct after a social media post accused the officers of drinking at an area restaurant.

"Our investigation revealed that the author of the social media post later admitted that he may have 'embellished' the details of the situation," said Whitman Police Chief Scott Benton. "The author has since deleted his Facebook account."

Benton said that an investigation revealed that the officers were off duty. They were not wearing their uniforms, and they were at the restaurant at their own expense.

"While an officer is required to model a certain level of conduct both on and off duty, our investigation did not reveal any conduct by either of these officers which would compromise either of their reputations or the reputation of the Whitman Police Department," Benton said.

The officers were placed on paid administrative leave while the allegations were investigated.