Ex-Durham officer pleads guilty to false imprisonment

A former Durham police officer pleaded guilty Monday to false imprisonment in connection with a 2013 case in which she and two other officers forced their way into a home.

Posted 11:25 a.m. Sep 21, 2015 — Updated 9:53 p.m. Sep 21, 2015

DURHAM, N.C. — A former Durham police officer pleaded guilty Monday to false imprisonment in connection with a 2013 case in which she and two other officers forced their way into a home.

Erin V. Espinola was sentenced to 30 days in jail, suspended of 12 months on unsupervised probation. She also was ordered to pay a $50 fine and $765 in court costs.

Espinola, Officer Stacy L. Armstrong and Lt. Ryan A. Freeman were among six people arrested on Jan. 18, 2013, after pushing their way into a home on Trevor Circle to retrieve what they said was stolen property. The property was described as an iPhone, a wallet containing police identification and a coat, which were allegedly taken from a club on Ninth Street.

During that disturbance, a man was chased to a home on Landis Drive and assaulted, police said.

Freeman and Armstrong both pleaded guilty previously. All three resigned from the Durham Police Department.

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