A Memphis police officer was charged with kidnapping and killing a man on duty, officials said.
Patric Ferguson, 29, was taken into custody on Sunday on charges of kidnapping and shooting Robert Howard, 30, after forcing him into the back seat of a car, according to one declaration by the Memphis Police Department.
Ferguson, who was on duty and “acting on his own,” allegedly drove Howard about a third of a mile from the victim’s home, where he killed her with his personal weapon, police said.
Howard was last seen at his home on Tuesday at about 5 pm, according to police. The next day, he was reported missing after his girlfriend traced his phone, but was unable to locate it, police said.
Ferguson was arrested and immediately fired on Sunday, according to the police department. The former police officer was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree murder in perpetrating aggravated kidnapping, especially aggravated kidnapping, corpse abuse and fabrication and tampering with evidence, the police said.
Ferguson has been an MPD employee since October 2018, according to police.
A second person, Joshua Rogers, 28, was arrested for allegedly helping Ferguson relocate the victim’s body, police said. Rogers was accused of accessory after the fact, abuse of a corpse and fabrication and tampering with evidence.
It was not immediately clear on Monday whether Ferguson and Rogers have lawyers.
Ferguson was being held without bail, while Rogers was released on $ 25,000 bail, according to Shelby County Jail.
A hearing was scheduled for Ferguson and Rogers on Monday morning, according to prison records.
The Shelby County Public Defender’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
“Nobody is above the law,” MPD director Michael Rallings said in a statement. “Knowing that a Memphis cop, someone who has sworn to protect and serve, made the decision to commit this horrible crime is devastating.”
