KC police officer remains suspended over insurance fraud charges [The Kansas City Star]

Oct. 23--A Kansas City police officer remains suspended without pay after Platte County authorities charged him with defrauding his insurer to pay off a car loan.

Shawn D. Oden, 28, faces one count of first-degree property damage to defrauding an insurer when he filed an insurance claim after he crashed his 2001 BMW into a cement barrier while driving westbound on 64th Street and Northwest Waukomis Drive in March 2010. At the time, he said he was trying to avoid hitting two deer.

Oden allegedly later filed the accident claim with American Family Insurance, which paid $12,319 to the vehicle's lien holder, the Kansas City Police Credit Union.

In August 2011, while Oden was applying for a job with the Aurora Colorado police department, he admitted committing insurance fraud when he crashed his vehicle in Kansas City, according to court records.

That information was referred to the Kansas City police fraud unit, which later investigated the claim. Oden allegedly told investigators that he was having financial difficulties and intentionally damaged his vehicle so the insurance company would pay off his loan, court records stated.

Oden has been with the department since May 2007 and was recently assigned to the Metro Patrol Division.

--Glenn E. Rice, [email protected]

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