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2 officers accused of affairs suspended

A female police officer's husband, who is also an officer, confronts two sergeants about encounters with his wife.

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published October 22, 2005

CLEARWATER - Two Clearwater police sergeants have been suspended without pay for 30 days for having an affair with a female officer.

Sgt. Steven Baginski and Sgt. Brian McAuley both had off-duty encounters with the officer in late 2003 and early 2004, according to an internal affairs investigation released Friday.

The officer was married to another Clearwater police officer, though the couple were separated at the time.

The female officer, who was hired in 2000, had three encounters with Baginski, 33, between late 2003 and early 2004, according to the internal affairs report. Another incident allegedly involving McAuley occurred in October 2003. Neither sergeant was in the officer's division, and neither directly supervised her.

All the incidents were off duty, and some began at Bricktown 54, a popular Clearwater nightclub.

"This is not about consensual sex among adults," said Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor. "It's about a violation of policy."

According to the department's code of conduct, no employee shall engage in conduct on or off duty which adversely affects the morale of the department. Shortly after the couple's divorce in January, Officer Steven Wannos, 32, told investigators he began overhearing people in the department talk about his ex-wife's behavior with the sergeants. Officer Angela Wannos, 28, resigned from the department in January.

None of the people involved in the case could be reached for comment Friday.

Steven Wannos confronted Baginski and McAuley on two occasions, according to reports.

In March, Steven Wannos threatened to resign from the department after learning about the incidents, according to reports. He also said he would not be able to do his job effectively if he were placed on patrol squads supervised by Baginski or McAuley.

The Office of Professional Standards began investigating the encounters in April.

Baginski began with the department in 1992. McAuley was hired in 1994. Both will be suspended starting Monday through Nov. 22.

[Last modified October 22, 2005, 01:13:18]