2 romantically involved San Jose police officers charged in alleged drug theft cover-up

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A pair of romantically involved San Jose police officers are facing criminal charges after allegedly tampering with evidence and filing a false report to cover up a drug theft.

Raydarius Surry, 29, and Destiney Thompson, 30, were arrested Wednesday and booked into Santa Clara County Jail. Both have been on paid leave since September, according to San Jose police.

The investigation into Surry started in August, when a small bag of suspected narcotics that he mentioned in a police report about an arrest failed to appear in evidence.

After being notified by the department that the bag was missing, Surry allegedly took a similar bag from a pedestrian he stopped in an unrelated case -- which he failed to pursue -- and put that new bag into evidence as if it were from the original case, police officials said in a news release Thursday.

Thompson allegedly accessed body-worn camera footage of the first arrest to help Surry plan the coverup.

Both are accused of one count each of tampering with evidence and filing a false police report, according to police.

"Falsifying evidence or police reports is a crime, and our Department moved swiftly to remove both officers from duty and pursue criminal accountability," San Jose police Chief Paul Joseph said. "These allegations, if proven to be true, constitute a failure to live up to the standards our community has a right to expect."

Surry has been with the department for eight years and Thompson for six. Both are Gilroy residents.