A North Carolina police officer is accused of giving alcohol to a 1-year-old boy and a 6-year-old boy.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Officer Robert Milton, 56, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of child abuse.
Police said Milton was in control of the alcoholic beverage and container during the incident but wouldn’t go into further detail. Milton is currently on administrative leave without pay.
"To say that his actions are disappointing, it's really hard to search for another adjective," Deputy Chief Gerald Smith said.
Police said the two children are brothers, and Milton is the 1-year-old’s father. They said the incident was reported by the boys' mother Wednesday. She believes Milton gave the children the alcohol.
“I'm a father, and I think everyone else in here who's a parent knows you don't give children alcohol, and the level of concern goes up as the age goes down,” Smith said.
Police said the children are OK.
Milton has been with the department since 2012 and was assigned to its Airport Division.
Milton was praised three years ago as one of two officers assigned to the airport who may have saved a woman’s life by performing CPR on her.
“I am disappointed by this incident. As we honor the men and women in law enforcement this week, it is important that the community understands the overwhelming majority of police officers serve with integrity," Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Kerr Putney said in a statement. "Officers who betray their oath and break the law will be held accountable for their actions.”
A separate internal investigation is underway to determine whether Milton violated any department policies or procedures.
“At this point, it's been turned over to the magistrate for criminal prosecution in the courts,” Putney said.
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