Brendan Damron, 24, is a police officer in Marion, Marion County, Ohio, United States. He is accused of sexually assaulting a woman.
Bond for Damron was set at $250,000. He is currently being held at the Morrow County jail.
Marion County native Matt Bayles has been the sheriff of the county since 2020. He retired from the Marion Police Department in 2019.
On December 28, 2020, Jay McDonald was sworn in as the Marion Police Department chief. He had been a major at the department since 2007.
Brendan Damron
On February 11, 2026, Damron allegedly went to a woman’s residence where he forced himself on her despite being told no. He was off-duty at the time.
According to court documents, the woman was able to get away from Damron and go into the bathroom but he followed her and exposed himself. The cop allegedly asked her to perform a sexual act but she declined so he forced himself on her again.
On the evening of February 12, 2026, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies took Damron into custody without incident. On February 13, 2026, he was arraigned.
According to McDonald, Damron has been placed on administrative leave from the Marion Police Department, which has launched an internal affairs probe. The arrested cop was charged with one count of third-degree felony abduction and two counts of first-degree felony rape. The abduction charge is punishable by up to three years in prison while each of the two rape counts is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 11 years.
Bayles stated that his office, which is separate from and independent of the Marion Police Department, will be the lead investigators in this matter. Prosecuting attorney Ray Grogan said that his office, which does not represent Marion, has the experience and the independence to lead this prosecution.
“The credibility of police depends on holding ourselves to the same legal standards as everyone else,” McDonald stated. He added that he has faith that Bayles and Grogan will complete their investigative and prosecution duties “fairly and based on the law”.
CONAN Daily 