Cop Facebook photo could be crime scene

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) - Police are investigating a disturbing complaint against one of their own. An officer is accused of posting a possible crime scene photo of a dead body -- on her Facebook page.

The photo in question appears to show a possible crime scene: a person's body face down on a couch, next to a coffee table and floor cluttered with what could be food items. WPRI.com and Eyewitness News have blurred out the body in the image, but the entire picture was allegedly posted on a female police officer's personal page on the social networking site Facebook. Comments from two former police officers were posted below it.

New Bedford Police said Monday it appears the victim in the image may have died from a drug overdose.

The trouble is, they're not yet 100% sure if the photo is authentic -- or retouched.

"It looks like it could be a crime scene," said the police department's Lt. Jeffrey Silva. "But, like an onion, there'll be a lot of layers to something like this. You have to try and source the photograph, in terms of where it came from. You then have to see the origin of how the photograph got where it got."

Silva said other questions to answer include "Is it a New Bedford crime scene? And then if so, was it taken by one of our police officers?

"And if so, was this police officer on duty?"

Mayor Scott Lang said he is aware of the situation, and will be reviewing the case Tuesday. He said he promises to take immediate action against the officer if it is determined that she acted improperly.

Just a year ago, a male police officer in New Bedford was suspended for inappropriately using a photo of himself online.