A now-former Raleigh police officer has been arrested after a disturbing incident that allegedly unfolded while he was on duty. Tremale Stephon Cogdell, 28, is facing felony charges including obstruction of justice and sexual misconduct involving a person in custody—after officials say he had a sexual encounter with a woman he met during a crash investigation.
At a press conference, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce explained what happened. He said Cogdell responded to a crash in the early morning hours of September 12. Instead of following standard procedure, Cogdell allegedly drove the woman involved in the crash back to his own home in a police vehicle while still on duty. That’s when, according to Boyce, a sexual encounter occurred.
“What has happened is not only troubling, it is disgraceful. I am angry and disheartened both as a police chief and as a member of this community,” Boyce said.
Court documents allege that Cogdell failed to conduct a proper DWI investigation in exchange for sexual acts, calling the offense one done “in secrecy and malice.” He was officially charged with felony obstruction of justice, felony sexual misconduct, and misdemeanor willful neglect of duty.
The incident came to light when the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) contacted the Raleigh Police Department on September 26. Cogdell was placed on administrative leave the same day. He was fired from the department on Friday, just before the charges were announced publicly.
Chief Boyce didn’t shy away from the gravity of the situation. “This is a reminder that no one is above accountability, not even those who wear the badge,” he said. He also praised the victim for her courage in coming forward and offered support to her and others who may have been affected.
Cogdell had only been with the department since June 2022, working in the Field Operations Division in Raleigh’s Downtown District.
Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, said this type of misconduct is sadly not uncommon. “The Cato Institute back in 2010 found that right after excessive force, sexual assaults and sexual misconduct were the second most reported type of police misconduct,” Bonds noted.
She added that in recent years, more departments have started to take such allegations seriously. “I think there’s been a real recognition that there’s the opportunity to abuse power in this situation,” she said, emphasizing the need for transparency and thorough investigations.
Chief Boyce echoed that sentiment, saying, “I promised this community that I was going to be transparent and hold people accountable no matter who they are. I hope today reflects that I’m keeping my word.”
Cogdell is set to appear in court Monday at 1:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Raleigh Police and the SBI are both conducting ongoing investigations. Authorities are urging anyone who may have had an inappropriate interaction with Cogdell to contact the North Carolina SBI.