Bridges Randle at his 2018 trial
A former police officer for the Memphis Police Department has been federally indicted for allegedly raping a woman who reached out to report an incident of vandalism. Bridges Randle, 47, was acquitted in state court on the matter in 2018. Federal prosecutors nonetheless believe they have a civil rights case against him. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
The incident happened on June 24, 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Randle — who federal prosecutors said has used the names Ajamu Abiola Banjoko and Oluwafemi Abiola Banjoko — was not arrested until 2014 because of a backlog involving the testing of rape kits.
Randle was arrested while living in Atlanta, Georgia, and working as the operational director of healthy lifestyles for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlanta after changing his name to Ajamu Abiola Banjoko, according to The Commercial Appeal.
The alleged victim had originally called police to say her boyfriend struck the back of her new car with a baseball bat. Randle allegedly returned after the other cops left. Ostensibly, this was to review the vandalism, but Randle ended up raping the woman in the home after showing her his gun, the woman said.
“He pulled me into my daughter’s bedroom, and he pushed me onto the bed,” the woman testified, according to WMC. “I put my hands up like that, and I asked him to stop.”
Her daughter was sleeping in another room, she said.
Her daughter lashed out during the 2018 trial.
“I’m going to kill him,” she said, obviously distraught as she was pulled out of court. “I want him to die.”
Randle no-showed in court for his verdict after reportedly calling his…
