Ex-DPD officers accused of filing false report were working at other departments

Editors note: After this story aired, an Oakland County Sheriffs Department Spokesman says Steven Fultz was first hired by OCSO then resigned his position at the Detroit Police Department. 

Two ex-Detroit police officers are finding themselves on the other side of the law and FOX 2 has learned while they were being investigated for their alleged crimes - they were hired at two other police departments.

FOX 2: "Who is it on to be able to check if these officers have been in any trouble?"

"The people who do the hiring - it is really simple as that," said Jim Tignanelli.

Tignanelli is the president of the Police Officers Association of Michigan.

So the question is, how did two Detroit police officers facing allegations of misconduct in office and filing a false police report, get hired at two separate police agencies.

"We don't even know if the charges are founded or not, but if you are going to do a background check," said Tignanelli. "It's a telephone call - it's not a complicated process."

Steven Fultz, 34, and John McKee, 43, faced a judge on Friday. They accused a 27-year-old man of tossing a bag of drugs from his car who was charged with possession of heroin.

While preparing for the case, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office came across audio recordings from the cruiser revealing that wasn't the case.

"With everything we are doing positive it tarnishes the badge," said Detroit Police Chief James Craig.

Craig says as soon as the department learned of this it launched an internal investigation. At the same time, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office began investigating.

That was last fall. The officers resigned from Detroit Police Department in January.

Almost immediately,  Steven Fultz was hired by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and John McKee was hired at the Troy Police Department - where they both worked until this week, when both departments finally learned of the criminal charges.

"If doing a background check by hiring agency, if you are facing any criminal or administrative charges," Craig said. "At that point, I believe the new employee has an obligation to disclose that, not the department."

But apparently the officers did not. And although the Oakland County Sheriff's Office tells FOX 2 it conducted a thorough background check before hiring officer Fultz it apparently wasn't thorough enough.

FOX 2: "Could that put other cases they worked on in jeopardy?"

Tignanelli: "It could if that's what they are found guilty of, if they are found guilty at all."

Both officers have been placed on administrative leave. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office has launched its own internal investigation.

FOX 2 has not heard any comment from Troy police.