The two troopers at the heart of a complaint involving the false arrest and alleged mistreatment of a Raleigh woman have been placed on desk duty pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.
Gov. Bev Perdue issued a statement Thursday reiterating that she has "zero tolerance for unacceptable behavior" when it comes to the N.C. Highway Patrol.
"We expect the absolute best from state employees," Perdue said, according to the statement. "This incident has been under investigation since it came to light. These two troopers have been placed on administrative duty. The secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety and the colonel of the Highway Patrol will take appropriate action upon completion of their investigation."
The investigation of Senior Trooper Edward S. Wyrick and Trooper Andrew Smith was prompted by an eight-page letter sent to Perdue on Friday by Raleigh lawyer Hoyt Tessener, detailing his wife Gina's negative experience with Wyrick this month in Wilmington.
However, the troopers remained on the road until Thursday, when the Tesseners' complaint was widely reported in the media.
The couple have accused Wyrick of falsely arresting the 51-year-old mother of three, mistreating her and then orchestrating an unjustified traffic stop of her husband by Smith.
Gina Tessener was briefly jailed, despite twice blowing 0.0 on an alcohol breath test.
Hoyt Tessener said Thursday that he is pleased to hear that the troopers have been taken off the road, at least until the investigation is complete.
"That's the right thing to do," he said. "I'm thankful for the governor's actions. I hope they do have a fair and impartial investigation."
