(Newser)
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Fifteen NYPD cops turned themselves in to face corruption charges at around midnight today, as a crowd of around 100 fellow officers gathered to scream their support for them—and heap abuse on the Internal Affairs detectives bringing them down, the New York Post reports. A 16th cop was arrested earlier in the night. The officers are accused of making traffic tickets, DWIs and domestic disputes disappear for friends, family, and, in one case, a Yankees executive.
At least one officer is also charged with profiting from drug sales and taking bribes—in the form of electronics—to spike tickets. The officers, who were indicted last month, learned yesterday afternoon that they were about to be arrested, and hastily arranged to turn themselves in. Among them are 10 officials in the police union, the New York Times reports. The highest ranking officer arrested, ironically, is an Internal Affairs lieutenant accused of leaking details of the investigation to her fellow cops.
