DANVILLE — A Northumberland police officer who lives in Danville has filed a lawsuit against The Daily Item and one of its reporters.

Edward J. Cope alleges that the newspaper and its reporter, Karen Blackledge, erroneously stated in a Feb. 6 issue of The Danville News, a publication of The Daily Item, that he was cited for allowing a middle school student to have tobacco in a classroom and show it to fellow students.

The criminal complaint, filed by Danville Middle School officials, cites Smith Cope as the person who was in possession of the tobacco on school property. Edward Cope was listed only as the parent.

The suit contends that Edward Cope “suffered loss of his reputation, shame, mortification, injury to his feelings and injury to his reputation as a law obeying police officer.”

Cope is seeking unspecified punitive damages, and he also seeks compensatory damages in excess of arbitration limits.

Newspaper officials had no comment on the pending suit.