Columbus Vice suspends third officer, resumes limited operations

After a 3-month investigation, Columbus Police’s Vice Unit will resume limited operations, but without another one of its officers.

This is the third Vice officer to be relieved of duty since September.

Whitney Lancaster’s gun and badge were taken from him and he was reassigned to desk duty after 31 years on the job.

He was involved in the July arrest of adult entertainer Stormy Daniels.

Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacob suspended the operations of the vice unit in early September following two high-profile cases—the arrest of Daniels and two other dancers (all three were eventually let off) and the August shooting of 23-year-old Donna Castleberry.

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Andrew Mitchell, who fatally shot Castleberry, and Steve Rosser, who led the Daniels sting, were relieved of duty in September and November, respectively.

Jacobs eventually transferred the investigation of the vice unit over to the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force.

According to WOSU, a select team of Vice officers will tackle nuisance abatement and liquor violations, in conjunction with the City Attorney’s office, effective immediately.

Stings, undercover operations, and the unit’s anti-human-trafficking efforts remain frozen as the FBI probe continues.

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