Lawrence officer disciplined in stunt riding case - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News

Thursday update:

Lawrence PD says Officer Tracey Cantrell will be suspended for 30 days from the motorcycle squad. He'll be on probation for six months, and if there are any further incidents, he'll be off the motorcycle squad for good. He continues to be monitored by his supervisors.

Lawrence - A police officer accused of performing stunts on his motorcycle spoke Tuesday about the incident.

It has caused quite a stir since last Friday, when a citizen captured Lawrence Motorcycle Police Officer Tracey Cantrell riding in an unsafe manner. On Tuesday, Officer Cantrell spoke for the first time about the incident.

"When I was heading westbound on 56th Street and there was nobody around, I was at 25, maybe 30 MPH and what I did was, I raised up. It's not a trick. Like sometimes we stretch side-to-side, well I made the mistake of putting my hands out and the perception by the man who took the video was I was standing upright on my seat with my legs extended straight up, with my hands out," Officer Cantrell said. "When, in fact, that is not true, because to do that one I would never do it on 56th Street on a bridge, regardless if it is controlled or not."

Lawrence Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff said there is an investigation underway, which Mayor Paul Ricketts elaborated on.

"Whatever discipline is necessary, it will be doled out, but it won't be any more or less than is necessary for this particular act," Ricketts said. "We are not going to go on a witch hunt and make him responsible for things he didn't do or things that may have happened in the community."

"Whatever disciplinary action they take, I am here to accept for my mistake and what I've done, but I wanted to let people know I was not physically upright extending my body up in the air with my hands out," the officer said.

There is no timetable for completion of this investigation, but Mayor Ricketts did say that once it's completed, as far as he is concerned, the case is closed.