Missouri town fires high-ranking police officer

PINE LAWN, Mo. -- The highest-ranking police officer in a St. Louis County town has been fired after allegedly telling another officer to drive two women home after he'd taken them to his place from a bar.

The Pine Lawn Board of Aldermen unanimously voted Sunday to dismiss Lt. Steven Blakeney, who had been suspended with pay since November. He is accused of taking two women home after meeting them at a bar, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The women said in written statements they woke up in Blakeney's living room in Oakdale with no memory of how they got there. One of the women is a St. Charles police officer.

Blakeney said their claims are fabricated and that the investigation by Pine Lawn officials is one-sided and designed to embarrass him. He said the city is retaliating against him because he's a witness for the federal government in an extortion case against Mayor Sylvester Caldwell.

"With the length they are going to discredit me, this is an attempted assassination on my character, with no factual information, only to potentially discredit me in future proceedings," Blakeney said.

Caldwell has pleaded not guilty to demanding bribes from a towing company in exchange for city business. Pine Lawn city administrator Brian Krueger said in a statement that Blakeney's claim about retaliation is "without basis in truth."

Cpl. Paul Rinck said in a memo that he'd been on duty when Blakeney called him and requested him for a police escort through the city of St. Louis. Rinck said he followed Blakeney to many locations until Blakeney told him outside of a St. Louis bar that he'd call him later to pick up two women and give them a ride home.

However, Blakeney said Rinck volunteered to pick up the women and that Rinck had previously been in a relationship with the woman who is a St. Charles officer.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com