Ocala police officer arrested and charged with making a false report concerning a crash

An Ocala Police Department officer has been arrested and charged with making a false report of a crime.

Joseph Reid Kelly arrived at the Marion County Jail on Monday at 6:49 p.m. and was booked into the facility at 7 p.m. Kelly's bail was listed at $500, and he has since been released from the jail, officials said.

Kelly is represented by local attorney Jimmie Sparrow, who said he doesn't know enough about the case to make a comment.

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The 36-year-old officer has no record of formal discipline while at the department. He was hired in 2007. He did receive a commendation for a March 2019 incident involving a stranded motorist.

Kelly is presently under investigation by the agency's Office of Professional Standards, also known as Internal Affairs. He has been suspended without pay.

"We are extremely disappointed by the actions of our officer. He has been placed on administrative suspension and we have initiated the internal affairs process to take appropriate corrective action," said Chief Mike Balken.

Here is what Kelly is accused of doing

According to police officials, on May 11 Officer Marsden Easley was called to a single-vehicle crash in the 800 block of Southeast 31st Street.

Officers believe the vehicle had been westbound when it crossed the raised center median, went through the eastbound lanes and struck the metal guardrail on the south side of the road.

Both the guardrail and the vehicle had severe damages, officials said. Kelly, who was off duty, told medical personnel who responded to the crash that the driver ran away and he was a passenger.

Easley interviewed his fellow officer, who said he was getting a ride home from a downtown bar. Kelly said he believed a tire popped when the vehicle hit the guardrail.

He said the driver, a male, took off south.

Kelly told the investigative officer that he wasn't driving and he only know the driver's first name, according to an arrest affidavit. Kelly also said he did not remember where he met the driver, whom he could not describe.

He did give the officer the name and address of the last bar he visited.

Sgt. Mat Steckman of the major crimes unit investigated. He and Sgt. Charles Hunt reviewed surveillance video from near the crash scene. It showed Kelly's vehicle was traveling on Southeast 31st Street when it struck the guardrail and stopped.

Two people, later identified as men, were seen approaching the disabled vehicle. A third individual was seen walking from the vehicle and toward the men, police officials said.

The clothing of the third person was similar to the clothes Kelly had been wearing. No one was seen leaving the passenger's side of the crashed vehicle, officials said. 

Steckman was able to find the two men and interviewed them. Both said they never saw anyone leave the vehicle, and they were at the crash site within 20 seconds, according to the affidavit. Both said it appears the male they saw from the crashed vehicle was stumbling.

Video from the bar shows Kelly wearing the same clothing he was wearing after the crash. Kelly eventually left the bar with a man. Surveillance video showed Kelly got into his vehicle and the male entered a vehicle next to Kelly's. Kelly then dove away alone.

Kelly's vehicle crashed roughly five minutes after he left the bar, police said.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com