Special Idiot Unit

When an emergency medical technician in Bensalem, Penn., died in the line of duty, members of the squad got together to remember their fallen comrade. Michael Marren, 41, a police officer in town, joined them.

One of the volunteer EMTs said she was going to go back to the squad building to stay the night after the evening of mourning. It was 2:40 a.m., so Marren offered to drive her there.

The 23-year-old woman says that when they arrived, Marren "leaned in and French kissed" her. She says she pushed him away and said he was making a "huge mistake." She then went into the building and went to the restroom.

Marren allegedly followed her, and went into the nearby men's room. When she came out of the women's room, she says Marren blocked her doorway, pushed her back inside, and assaulted her. Afterwards, he allegedly told her "I hope you are OK because I have a really good lawyer."

Other medics found her curled up in a closet, crying.

Marren has been charged with four felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. He was released after posting 10% cash on his $100,000 bail.

But Marren is not just a police officer: he is a detective sergeant and head of the department's Special Victims Unit, and supervised sex-crime investigations. Well, he was: after investigators allegedly matched up DNA evidence, Marren was fired from the department, where he was a nine-year veteran. He denies the charges, saying the woman was the aggressor, and that he had turned her down.

The incident occurred March 9, but the case didn't become public until April 19, when Marren was formally charged.

Sources: Bucks County Courier Times, Philadelphia Inquirer

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