MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A Memphis police officer was arrested and relieved of duty after he allegedly assaulted a woman and placed her in custody — over a hot dog dispute.
Ralph Confer, of the Memphis Police Department, was on duty at Regional One Health medical center on Sept. 20. It was a day during which employees were holding a cookout in a police holding area. A medical technician who was also on duty asked if she could have a hot dog from the barbecue and one employee there told her she could.
Confer, however, told the woman she could not have a hot dog, WREG reported. She left, but came back later and asked a second person if she could have a hot dog, and was told “yes” by that employee.
But when Confer saw the woman fixing herself a plate, the police officer allegedly walked up to her and slapped the hot dog bun out of her hand, telling the woman she couldn’t have any food and had to leave through a back door.
There was no explanation provided for what appears to be irrational behavior.
The woman said she couldn’t leave through the back door and had to leave through the front, according to WHBQ, but Confer allegedly wouldn’t let her. As he tried to “corral her out the back door,” the police officer is accused of picking the woman up, causing her to hit her head on cabinets.
New developments tonight in a story #FOX13 broke weeks ago. A Memphis Police Officer now faces assault charges after a nurse tech says he beat her up. Reporter @massereports reveals that the fight started over a hot dog. Tune in at 9:30 for more. pic.twitter.com/SzIQ8zDMJn
— FOX13 Memphis (@FOX13Memphis) October 10, 2019
Confer then reportedly threw the woman to the ground, placed a knee on her back and handcuffed her. He then put the medical technician in a holding cell without explanation, according to the woman.
A nurse at the medical center contacted Confer’s supervisor and the woman was released from the cell a short time later. She reportedly suffered a hematoma to the top of her head, bruising on both biceps, bruising on her shin and soreness to her hip and lower back.
Confer was arrested on Tuesday and charged with assault. The Memphis Police Department told Fox News on Thursday that Confer was relieved of duty and is “on non-enforcement status pending the outcome of the investigation.”
If the details in the report are accurate, it would seem likely that he will face charges more serious than simple assault.
