AL P's Daily Police Thread: Dallas SWAT officer fired for having sex with prostitute

A Dallas police officer who was featured on the TV show Dallas SWAT was fired Tuesday after internal investigators concluded that he had sex in a Garland motel room with a prostitute while working an off-duty job in February.

Senior Cpl. Johnny Baker, 43 and a 17-year department veteran, has denied any wrongdoing, including paying for sexual favors.

"All of the circumstances of these allegations are very troublesome," Police Chief David Kunkle said. "There's a variety of things that he did to violate the public trust."

The inquiry into Cpl. Baker's activities began Feb. 21 as Garland detectives were investigating possible drug activity in a motel room.

About 11:30 a.m., the detectives had followed a woman, identified as Jenifer Cantrell, to a nearby Wal-Mart parking lot, according to Dallas police records.

Records show that the detectives watched as a marked Chevrolet Tahoe drove into the parking lot. The driver, later identified as Cpl. Baker, then got into Ms. Cantrell's vehicle, and the couple returned to the motel room.

They were in the motel room for about 18 minutes before she dropped him back off at his vehicle, police said. Records show that he reported to work that afternoon.

Ms. Cantrell, who listed herself as homeless, told investigators that he had paid her $40 for sex that day in the motel. She also said that she had met him at an apartment previously where they had sex for a fee.

Investigators concluded that Cpl. Baker was working an off-duty job for a neighborhood association when he went with Ms. Cantrell to the motel room, an allegation that Cpl. Baker has denied. Investigators also concluded he attempted to conceal that he had been working the off-duty job when he met her, something that he also denied.

According to his Dallas SWAT bio, he had been a member of the tactical team for more than eight years and served as an "entry specialist," which meant that he was often one of the first tactical officers to enter a target location. He also served as a Marine during the first Gulf War, is an "avid motorcycle rider," and the father of four, the bio noted.

Ms. Cantrell was arrested by Garland police on Feb. 21 at the motel after she was found with crack cocaine. She was convicted on the felony drug charge in March and given probation.