SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Police say an officer is looking at felony charges for allegedly filing a false police report.
Alexa Palubicki, 26, was arrested and placed on administrative leave as soon as the department learned of her alleged misconduct, officials said.
According to investigators, Palubicki’s fellow officers first brought the information to the attention of the department in July 2020.
“Once the Sacramento Police Department was alerted to the dishonesty, the department launched a thorough audit of all arrests and associated supplemental reports submitted by Palubicki over the course of her three-year employment,” the police department wrote in a press release.
That audit included interviewing dozens of employees and reviewing footage from bodycams, in-car cameras, and surveillance cameras, investigators said. Search warrants were also obtained for Palubicki’s cell phones and social media accounts.
Investigators say Palubicki’s allegedly false report was made during an incident on July 11, 2020. They did not say what it involved.
“The internal affairs process regarding this case is still ongoing in accordance with state law,” officials said. “The department is committed to transparency and we will continue to update our community regarding this case as we are able.”
Palubicki was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, Thursday, on two felony counts of filing a false police report. The charges make her ineligible for bail. She is due in court on Monday, April 10, at 3 p.m.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert issued the following statement regarding Palubicki's arrest:
"Any time a police officer falsifies a police report, it is an affront to justice and taken very seriously. As prosecutors, we must proceed only on cases where the evidence is trustworthy and legally obtained. We have the solemn duty to ensure that justice and fairness remain the touchstone of our criminal justice system. To that end, immediately upon being notified of Palubicki’s conduct, the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office conducted an internal case audit to identify any pending cases we had filed in which she participated.
Cases in which her participation was material and necessary for prosecution have been dismissed. In other cases where Palubicki participated in some manner but is not a necessary witness for trial, we have notified the defense of this investigation consistent with our ethical obligations.
We are in the process of reviewing past cases in which Palubicki was involved and that have already resulted in a conviction to determine the appropriate remedy."
It is unclear how many cases involving Palubicki have been dismissed.
Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn would not go into detail about the allegations made against Palubicki but said the department is reviewing every arrest and report that she made. He did not say who reported the allegations.
Chief Hahn did say that Palubicki is still being paid while the department “finalizes their process.” Palubicki has been on administrative leave, but was stripped of her police powers, Hahn said.
Because this is a pending case, interviews with the media are not being conducted, according to Sacramento County DA Public Information Officer Shelly Orio.
When ABC10 reached out to Palubicki's lawyer, Joshua A. Olander, he responded by asking the public to reserve judgment until Palubicki has her day in court.
"Like anyone charged with a crime, Officer Palubicki is entitled to due process. We trust that process and look forward to vigorously defending her against these allegations," said Olander in a written statement.
Sacramento Police refused to release Palubicki's mug shot because they say this incident does not fall under the criteria regarding booking photo releases outlined in their Media Relations General Order.
According to Sacramento Police, Palubicki is not the only officer on administrative leave in connection to this case. However, they did not go into detail about the number of identities of the other officers also on administrative leave as the case is ongoing.
