Drunk cop, leaves scene of accident he caused and gets rehired with backpay?!?!

[Rick Lee]

Every day I read the news and have to check to make sure I'm not reading The Onion. How can this be real?

WA officer fired for DUI may regain job, back pay

The Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash. —

A Spokane police officer fired in 2009 after driving drunk while off duty, hitting a pickup with his truck and leaving the scene of the collision is likely to be rehired and get more than two years of back pay - totaling about $275,000.

In a settlement mediated by the Washington State Human Rights Commission, Brad Thoma will be rehired March 1 in a demoted position of detective, if the Spokane City Council agrees to the deal on Monday, the Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday (Settlement awards officer job, back pay - Spokesman.com - Feb. 22, 2012).

Under the agreement, the city will also pay his attorney - Bob Dunn - $15,000. Dunn argues that job-related stress led Thoma to alcoholism and should be regarded as a disability.

He argues that the police department knew Thoma struggled with alcoholism and didn't try to get him help. Thoma filed a complaint about his firing with the Washington State Human Rights Commission soon after he was terminated.

Dunn likened the incident to someone who got into a collision as a result of seizure caused by epilepsy.

"If your disease is a result of your job and your employer knows it and you're sick and need some help, it's the duty of the employer" to get the employee help, Dunn said.

Prior to his firing in December 2009, Thoma was a sergeant.

City officials said Thoma was disciplined for his actions, not alcoholism. Assistant City Attorney Erin Jacobson said she is unaware of evidence that the city knew that Thoma was an alcoholic until he claimed to be one after the crash.

Jacobson said the demotion is a sign that the city believes that officers can be disciplined for off-duty illegal behavior.

"When you're a police officer, you should know better," she said.

Dunn is known to represent officers in trouble.

The settlement follows a trial last year in which a jury awarded Detective Jay Mehring $722,000, mostly for emotional distress and pain and suffering. Mehring was placed on unpaid leave from the police force after he was accused of threatening to kill his wife during a messy divorce. He was reinstated to the force and given back pay after a jury acquitted him in October 2008.

Dunn, who also represented Mehring, was awarded an additional $833,000 in attorney's fees.

The city is appealing that decision.

Dunn also represents former Detective Jeff Harvey, who filed a lawsuit earlier this month after being fired last year. Harvey was charged with obstruction of justice following a January 2011 encounter with a state Fish and Wildlife officer, but was acquitted in September.

[RWebb]

pretty good Union they have, eh?

[szyzygy]

unbelievable.

[Rick Lee]

That's a good lawyer, for sure. I'm more concerned about the "human rights" folks actually buying this inverted morality and punishing the taxpayers with it.

[Noah930]

Wow. If I scored a DUI, MVC, and hit-and-run trifecta, even on my "own time," I'd risk losing my professional license. I don't know who'd I sue for back pay though. Myself? I doubt anyone would buy the weenie "job stress" excuse. If you're not strong enough to stand the stress, you're not fit to do the job, regardless of whose "fault" it is. Find something else to do for a living.

[Hugh R]

And you wonder why states are going broke....

[szyzygy]

sounds like he was an alcoholic before he got into trouble

[szyzygy]

Man, I feel like a chump for trying to do the right thing and being honest.

[968rz]

When can we expect common sense to be back in fashion, this current reality is getting me down.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by szyzygy

Man, I feel like a chump for trying to do the right thing and being honest.

Exactly. We only reward the bad guys and punish the good guys. Someday that's going to catch up with us.

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by RWebb

pretty good Union they have, eh?

Perhaps, but how/where is there a union involved?

[RWebb]

not specified, but police often have unions, and those unions cover for a LOT of abuses

[bivenator]

I am speechless at the amazing level of inverted thinking. Unbelievable.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

And you wonder why states are going broke....

No, it goes even further than this. Its crap like this that has helped bankrupt, both morally and financially, the entire country...

[Tobra]

They would take away my license to practice for that, guaranteed.

[LakeCleElum]

I know the Police Chief that fired him. One of the reasons she fired him is that he lost his Drivers license. When he got it back, he needed an "Inter-lock" on any vehicle he drove....He wanted on installed on his patrol car. When that didn't work, said he wanted a desk job......Chief said "No, I need all hands on deck".....

[dafischer]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

I know the Police Chief that fired him. One of the reasons she fired him is that he lost his Drivers license. When he got it back, he needed an "Inter-lock" on any vehicle he drove....He wanted on installed on his patrol car. When that didn't work, said he wanted a desk job......Chief said "No, I need all hands on deck".....

Too bad, so sad.

[Gogar]

So you're telling me a cop in Spokane, WA makes $138K a year?

I'm having a hard time believing that.

[LakeCleElum]

Originally Posted by Gogar

So you're telling me a cop in Spokane, WA makes $138K a year?

I'm having a hard time believing that.

Not even with overtime and benefits......Way high.

[Evans, Marv]

This scenario demonstrates why so many abuses in all of our institutions go unchallenged.