Officer faces drug charges

He is suspected of possession of pot and amphetamines.

Sacramento police arrested a 16-year veteran of the department at a local hotel on Friday and have booked him on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs while armed.

Officer Isaac Knutila, 45, was also booked on charges of possession of amphetamines, possession of a controlled substance and possession of more than an ounce of marijuana, according to a Police Department statement.

Police launched an investigation of Knutila last month after allegations surfaced that the officer might have been involved in “prostitution-related activity at a hotel within the city limits,” the department said. Knutila has been placed on administrative leave pending termination of employment, police said, adding that there was no indication that Knutila engaged in criminal activity while on duty.

“It is unacceptable that a member of law enforcement would violate the public’s trust,” Deputy Chief Brian Louie said in the statement. “We hold our officers to the highest standard and I assure you that these actions don’t reflect upon the hardworking men and women of the Sacramento Police Department.”

Since launching its investigation, the statement said, the Police Department has dedicated a “vast amount of internal and external resources” to the case, conducting surveillance and undercover operations focused on Knutila.

On Friday, detectives served a search warrant and “located a usable amount of narcotics” in Knutila’s possession, the statement said.

The Police Department said it was working with the Sacramento County district attorney’s office on the case.