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A US police officer has resigned after he forced a teenage girl to perform topless exercises as a punishment.
Patrick Shields, 31, resigned after making the 16-year-old girl do five 'jumping jacks' and her boyfriend do 20 with their shirts off.
It happened after the police officer approached the couple in their car which was parked on a road in their home town of Pensacola, Florida.
He made them poor the exercises as an alternative to being arrested for indecent behaviour.
The girl said she and her 19-year-old boyfriend were fully clothed while they were in their car. She added Shields also shined his torch on her while she did the exercises.
After their punishment the couple were told not to discuss what happened, and to say they were only listening to music in their car.
But they complained to police officials and an investigation began. Shields did not deny making the girl do exercises but insisted she was fully clothed.
The couple took polygraph tests which concluded they had not lied about the incident. Shields twice declined to take a test.
Pensacola Police Chief John Mathis said: "In my career I've never seen anything like this. It certainly is a bad day for law enforcement in the Pensacola Police Department. I'm very sorry and very ashamed for what happened," he said.
A criminal investigation continues and Shields could face charges.
Patrick Shields, 31, resigned after making the 16-year-old girl do five 'jumping jacks' and her boyfriend do 20 with their shirts off.
It happened after the police officer approached the couple in their car which was parked on a road in their home town of Pensacola, Florida.
He made them poor the exercises as an alternative to being arrested for indecent behaviour.
The girl said she and her 19-year-old boyfriend were fully clothed while they were in their car. She added Shields also shined his torch on her while she did the exercises.
After their punishment the couple were told not to discuss what happened, and to say they were only listening to music in their car.
But they complained to police officials and an investigation began. Shields did not deny making the girl do exercises but insisted she was fully clothed.
The couple took polygraph tests which concluded they had not lied about the incident. Shields twice declined to take a test.
Pensacola Police Chief John Mathis said: "In my career I've never seen anything like this. It certainly is a bad day for law enforcement in the Pensacola Police Department. I'm very sorry and very ashamed for what happened," he said.
A criminal investigation continues and Shields could face charges.