BUFFALO, N.Y. — Charges against Morgan Eaton were dismissed after tests of what Buffalo police officers assumed to be cocaine came back negative.
“My kids think I’m a drug dealer,” said Eaton.
Since the March arrest, Eaton says he lost his job and reputation.
The two arresting officers involved in the Eaton case — Officers John Davidson and Andrew Moffett — were suspended for 30 days without pay.
The Coalition of Concerned Citizens however says the punishment doesn’t go far enough. They are demanding that both officers be fired for the false charge against Eaton.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn agrees the officers made an error in charging Eaton with cocaine possession per the negative lab results, but Flynn says he found no intent by officers to commit fraud. He says Officers Davidson and Moffett will not be charged.
“To be fair, do they know it’s cocaine? No. Should they have waited for lab test results, maybe yes, that is a situation for BPD to address. Did [Davidson] intentionally defraud anyone? No,” said Flynn.
The group says Officer Davidson has been accused of planting evidence or submitting false reports in at least two other cases.