MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Melbourne police officer has resigned from the department weeks after a controversial encounter with a teenager during a search for a runaway child.
Officer William Markle submitted his resignation following an internal review into the incident, which happened last month.
Police were searching for a missing runaway when officers mistakenly identified a 15-year-old boy as the child they were looking for.
During the encounter, the teenager was detained and later suffered a fractured elbow.
A department review raised concerns about the circumstances that led to the detainment, as well as the handcuffing technique used during the interaction.
Markle did not reference the incident or the findings of the review in his resignation letter.
Instead, he said resigning was in his best interest as he pursued new career opportunities.
The Melbourne Police Department has not announced any additional disciplinary action related to the incident.
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