San Francisco police commission suspends charges on officers

By Brent Begin, Bay City News Service

July 12, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - The San Francisco Police Commission, as expected at its weekly meeting tonight, suspended the charges brought against two officers for on-duty misconduct.

The commission put off disciplinary charges filed against Officers Michael Turkington, 36, and Arkady Zlobinsky, 37, because the two officers have resigned since settling their court cases, according to commission secretary Sgt. Joe Reilly.

Turkington pleaded no contest to felony charges of forced oral copulation, false imprisonment and furnishing marijuana -- all while on duty and under the color of authority. The charges stem from a late 2004 incident involving an 18-year-old woman who accused Turkington, assigned to the Taraval station at the time, of holding her against her will in his patrol car.

The case has been pending since police arrested him Dec. 21, 2005.

Turkington and Zlobinsky, his working partner at the time, were already facing previous charges stemming from several 2004 incidents involving their relationships with three underage girls.

Both were charged with inappropriate conduct when they attempted to keep contact with a 16-year-old and two 17-year-old girls who they met while on duty, according to charging documents.

The girls said they met the officers on June 20, 2004. In the next two weeks, the officers would meet the girls on several occasions, providing them alcohol, confiscated fireworks, and at times making sexual advances toward them, according to police commission documents.

The criminal court found Zlobinsky guilty the day he handed in his resignation and he was fined a total of $350, according to the district attorney's office.

The misdemeanor charges were dropped against Turkington as part of the plea deal on his later felony charges. The stronger charges of assault under color of authority, however, will stick, according to the district attorney's office. Turkington's court sentencing is scheduled for the end of July after he receives a probationary hearing and a psychological evaluation.

Also as part of a plea agreement, Turkington will not serve any additional time in jail.

Turkington resigned June 29 and Zlobinsky left the department June 28, Reilly said. The commission's charges are considered off calendar, which means they will only be renewed if either man works for the San Francisco Police Department again.

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