PO-PO, Harder sues FP PD; brutality discussion [FP]
The Forest Park Police Department has been holding hearings on the termination of Sgt. Dan Harder for... how long has it been now? Half a year?
Harder has filed a federal lawsuit against the Village of Forest Park, Mayor Anthony Calderone, Police Chief James Ryan, Deputy Village Clerk Sally Cody and Lt. Michael Cody. See Forest Park Review (Seth Stern).
Chief Ryan claims to be firing Harder for swearing at a subordinate, excessive sick days and lying about his whereabouts on a sick day. The case against Harder seems pretty flimsy in the hearings to date.
Recently, Forest Park police officer Ken Gross was alleged to have used excessive force against a 19 year old Latino outside a bar. See Forest Park Review (Seth Stern) or Proviso Probe. One thing I did not make clear in the Proviso Probe coverage is that Edison Reformado claims he did not know Gross was a police officer when he him. Reformado claims all Gross' identifying markings were covered or obscured by a brown jacket (hoody-like) worn over his police uniform.
Until I read some of the comments on Proviso Probe, I thought it was obvious police brutality is wrong. But since it seems to be open to debate I wrote a column explaining why police brutality is wrong and how regular folk need to make their opposition to police brutalit clear. See Forest Park Review.
Harder has filed a federal lawsuit against the Village of Forest Park, Mayor Anthony Calderone, Police Chief James Ryan, Deputy Village Clerk Sally Cody and Lt. Michael Cody. See Forest Park Review (Seth Stern).
The suit, filed in the US District Court on March 9, asks that Harder be compensated for damages including economic loss from both his current suspension and alleged denials of career opportunities as well as pain and suffering and attorney’s fees.
"Forest Park had a general, widespread, ongoing, permanent, well settled and accepted pattern of retaliating against employees who exercise federally protected political speech and who report allegations of criminal activity committed by fellow officers," states the lawsuit.
Chief Ryan claims to be firing Harder for swearing at a subordinate, excessive sick days and lying about his whereabouts on a sick day. The case against Harder seems pretty flimsy in the hearings to date.
Recently, Forest Park police officer Ken Gross was alleged to have used excessive force against a 19 year old Latino outside a bar. See Forest Park Review (Seth Stern) or Proviso Probe. One thing I did not make clear in the Proviso Probe coverage is that Edison Reformado claims he did not know Gross was a police officer when he him. Reformado claims all Gross' identifying markings were covered or obscured by a brown jacket (hoody-like) worn over his police uniform.
Until I read some of the comments on Proviso Probe, I thought it was obvious police brutality is wrong. But since it seems to be open to debate I wrote a column explaining why police brutality is wrong and how regular folk need to make their opposition to police brutalit clear. See Forest Park Review.
posted by Carl Nyberg at
10:14 AM
3 Comments:
The Forest Park Review editorial tries to be as tactful as possible in recommending to the village that it settle the Harder case.
BTW, what's up with the Calderone/Sturino/Ryan case to fire Lt. Steve Johnsen? I heard a rumor that the village has realized the case is too weak to proceed, but the leadership is too arrogant to back down.
I know less about the Johnsen case, but it seems to have more merit than the case against Harder. But I suppose I thought the case against Harder had more merit when I first started following it too.
By
Carl Nyberg, at 10:36 AM, March 22, 2006
Did you not read Officer Gross's report. He was in plain clothes. Maybe Edison did not hear the officer identify himself because he was impaired and was in the midst of a fight after being thrown out?
By
Anonymous, at 1:16 PM, March 22, 2006
Even so, Reformado was wrong to stike Gross
By
Anonymous, at 11:54 PM, March 22, 2006
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