Former Philadelphia police officer Richard DeCoatsworth, who was honored by the White House before being accused of raping two prostitutes at gunpoint, has been released from jail after the case was dropped when prosecutors cited insufficient evidence, according to Philly.com.
DeCoatsworth was freed Monday after more than a year in jail on human trafficking, rape, drug and other charges, Philly.com reported.
At one point, his bail had reached $60 million, his lawyer said, Philly.com reported.
"It was just a nightmare, the things he was accused of," defense lawyer George Parry said Monday, according to Philly.com.
DeCoatsworth had been honored after being shot in the face pursuing a suspect during his rookie year, and sat next to first lady Michelle Obama at the State of the Union address two years later, Philly.com reported. He left the force in 2011 on disability and had a painkiller addiction.
After returning to work, DeCoatsworth began to receive complaints about his use of force, according to Philly.com. He once shot a motorcyclist during a scuffle.
Philadelphia prosecutors dropped the charges after Parry questioned the accusers' credibility in pretrial filings, Philly.com reported.
"It became clear to me, once I got discovery, that they had no credibility whatsoever," Parry said, according to Philly.com. Prosecutors said they dropped the sex assault and human trafficking charges "after an intense follow-up investigation."
DeCoatsworth, 28, had pleaded guilty to some of the charges in February in a deal that would have likely given him a time-served sentence, but he later withdrew that plea, Philly.com reported. He still faces a felony assault charge involving an ex-girlfriend, but Parry said his client will also fight that case.
