Overview
- Lake Royale Police fired Officer Samuel Marcum and arrested him after arrest warrants say he admitted tossing his body‑worn camera into Lake Royale to hide that he was having sex in his patrol car while on duty.
- Warrants say Marcum initially told colleagues he lost the camera during an ice storm and then on June 6 told investigators he discarded it because he feared discipline for allowing his girlfriend into the patrol car.
- Marcum faces criminal counts that include obstruction of justice, making false official statements, injury to personal property, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer.
- Local reporting has relied on Franklin County arrest records and WRAL coverage and national outlets have sought comment from the Lake Royale Police Department as the probe continues.
- The case highlights how deliberately destroying or hiding body cameras can obstruct investigations and may prompt both criminal prosecution and internal reviews of departmental use and oversight of recording equipment.