Cop marries felon, gets to keep her job

COLUMBUS (AP) -- A police officer may keep her job after being accused of breaking division rules by marrying a convicted felon.
Officer Mary Harrison will receive a written reprimand for her New Year's Eve marriage to Ken Stout.
When he was 20, Stout was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for killing a drug dealer in 1991. The dealer had tried to rob Stout and a friend when the friend was buying drugs. Stout was released from prison in 2001.
He met Harrison six months later while she was walking her dog.
A police rule states: "Division personnel, except in the line of duty or when unavoidable, are to avoid associations or dealings with persons or organizations who they know, or should know, are under criminal investigation or indictment or who have a reputation for involvement or subversive activity."
Harrison has said she understood the rule to mean officers can't be involved with anyone currently involved in crime.
No home telephone listing could be found for Harrison or Stout. A message was left for the officer Saturday at the police department.
Cmdr. William Mattei wrote to disciplinary personnel that "Harrison deliberately and irresponsibly" misinterpreted the rule, which he said was intended to protect the department's integrity.
Deputy Chief Antone Lanata said it didn't make sense to interpret the rule so strictly.
"Taking this interpretation further, to its literal absurdity, personnel would be prevented from seeing many friends, family and acquaintances," he wrote.