San Jose Police: Officer Couple Arrested Over Evidence Swap

Raydarius Surry, 29, and Destiney Thompson, 30, were arrested Wednesday and booked into Santa Clara County Jail on charges related to a suspected switch in drug evidence. Both are San Jose police officers who are romantically involved. Each faces one count of tampering with evidence and one count of filing a false police report.

The case began when a bag of suspected narcotics documented by Surry in an arrest report vanished before it reached the police evidence room. Department investigators say Surry found a similar bag of suspected drugs during an unrelated pedestrian stop. He then abandoned the case where the new bag was found and submitted that item as evidence from the original arrest.

Thompson is accused of accessing the body-camera footage from the original arrest to help cover the discrepancy. The investigation into the missing stash started in August. Both officers have been on paid leave since September. Surry has served on the force for eight years, and Thompson has served for six. Both live in Gilroy.

San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said the department moved quickly to remove the officers from duty. "Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our Department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability," Joseph said. He added that the allegations, if proven true, constitute a failure to meet community standards.

The officers are currently in custody. The charges are allegations and have not yet been proven. The next step in the legal process involves the criminal case moving forward in Santa Clara County.

Surry and Thompson remain the central figures in this local law enforcement scandal. Their careers are paused while the county processes the criminal charges. The department has stated its intent to hold the officers accountable through the criminal justice system.