MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis Police Department sergeant is facing several charges after he allegedly stalked and harassed one of his fellow MPD sergeants.
According to the charging documents, the victim learned she was being tracked by an AirTag through a notification on her daughter's phone on March 18.
The pair searched the car for the tracking device and eventually found it in a vehicle's wheel well, according to the document.
The AirTag was linked to a phone number the woman recognized as Gordon Leonard Blackey's phone, according to prosecutors.
When the woman allegedly confronted Blackey, he said he placed the tracker on her car because he "cared about her," according to the charging documents. She chose not to pursue further action against Blackey at that time.
Court documents said the woman had previously been in a "brief romantic relationship" with Blackey, about one year before the AirTag was discovered.
On April 30, Blackey allegedly asked the woman out for a drink, which she declined. Later that evening when the woman was out with her friends at a Blaine restaurant, she told investigators she unexpectedly noticed Blackley inside the restaurant.
The incident in Blaine reminded the woman of previous instances when Blackey appeared at events unannounced or appeared to have intimate knowledge about the details of her life, said the charges.
On May 7, the woman reported the incidents to her police department and contacted the Anoka County Sheriff's Office to request an investigation and possible criminal charges against Blackey.
The investigation showed that beyond purchasing the AirTag, Blackey had multiple photos on his iPhone showing another individual's private information.
Prosecutors said the images on Blackey's phone were later confirmed to include information about the victim, her father and one of her coworkers. Those pictures were obtained using a state database accessible to police officers, according to the charging document.
Blackey admitted to tracking the victim's vehicle on multiple occasions and using his police access to obtain private information about the victim's father and coworker without a law enforcement purpose.
"I am, of course, very concerned about the charges, but I'll refrain from commenting further to maintain the integrity of the criminal legal process," said MPD Chief Brian O'Hara in a statement.
Blackey was charged Wednesday with one count each of harassment and unauthorized use of a tracking device; and two counts of unauthorized acquisition of non-public data.
The police department confirmed Blackey is still a current employee with the city, but they did not clarify in what capacity. According to the MPD, Blackey was working security detail for Mayor Jacob Frey and was moved off of it the same month he was reported.
KARE 11 reached out to Blackey's attorney, who did not respond.
Violence Free Minnesota, a coalition to end relationship abuse, said they would consider this a case of domestic violence because of the previous relationship.
Meggie Reyer, its communications manager, said that situations with past relationships or coworkers can be complicated for victims to navigate.
In this situation, she says she can understand why the victim may not have reported the incidents immediately.
"I think that's really tricky, because a lot of times, especially with women, they're really concerned about how reporting might be perceived, whether they will be believed or not, whether reporting will affect their relationship with that person or with other people that they're working with," said Royer. "So I think kind of there's that gendered element."
Royer said resources are available if there is ever a situation where you may need to talk something over.
If you or someone you know could use help, the National Domestic Violence hotline is 800-799-7233.