Post by Critique on Feb 12, 2007 5:56:04 GMT -5
February 5, 2007
By KELLY MOORE
NEW LLANO, LOUISIANA - A former New Llano police officer is without a job, but is questioning why he was fired after coming to the aid of a citizen while on duty recently.
Alex Castaneda, a former member of the New Llano Police Department, was relieved of duty after assisting Cady Sunsdahl and her child after a harrowing event in December.
Sunsdahl explained that on Dec. 15 she, along with her two children, were at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Leesville picking up a birthday cake for her 4-year-old when her 8-week-old daughter fell from the shopping cart landing face down in the parking lot.
“On the way back to our car after picking up the birthday cake, the cake slipped from the bottom of the basket and broke,” Sunsdahl explained. “My daughter was upset, so I picked up the cake and was carrying it in one hand while pushing the cart with the other to go back into the store to either get the cake fixed or to buy a new one. Rebekah was buckled into her car seat and was secured in the buggy, when all of a sudden the car seat was falling from the cart.”
“It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to react,” she continued. “The next thing I new she was lying face down in the parking lot.”
Sunsdahl then explained that several people came to her assistance and one began calling for an ambulance, all the while telling her not to move her daughter for fear more injuries would be caused.
According to Sunsdahl Castaneda, who was on duty, walked up and introduced himself and asked if he could assist her.
“He called the Acadian Ambulance and while we were waiting a nurse walked up and told us that we needed to take my daughter to the hospital, but I was in no condition to drive,” Sunsdahl said.
After waiting for more than 10 minutes Castaneda called Acadian again and was told that it would be at least 10 more minutes before they would arrive.
“We didn’t know if it was life or death,” Castaneda said. “This was an 10-week-old baby, she was crying, and that was good, but we didn’t know how hurt she was.”
Castaneda then drove Sunsdahl along with her children to Bayne Jones Army Community Hospital where they were met by her husband.
“Alex radioed ahead and let the hospital know we were coming and then carried my daughter into the emergency room,” Sunsdahl said.
Sunsdahl explained that Castaneda then stayed with her 4-year-old until a babysitter could arrive so that she and her husband could be with Rebekah while she was examined.
After the Sunsdahls arrived at the hospital, a cat scan was ordered for Rebekah and she was diagnosed with a severely bruised skull.
“They told us that she was going to have a complete recovery and that her skull had done it’s job, but we had to be very careful with her,” Sunsdahl said.
Castaneda explained that when he arrived on the scene he called the New Llano Police Department and explained where he was and what he was doing.
He also explained that as he left the hospital he was ordered back to the office where he was reprimanded by New Llano Chief of Police Danny Hunt.
Castaneda then had the next two days off of work and went to Alexandria to attend the wedding of a friend.
“On Sunday morning I got a text message from the Chief (Hunt) and it said that I needed to be at the Police Department at 5 p.m. (Sunday, Dec. 17) for a meeting with him, Mayor Freddie Boswell and the town’s attorney, Jack Simms,” Castaneda said.
Castaneda explained that when he arrived at the meeting Hunt and another officer were the only ones there and that he was asked to either resign or be fired.
Castaneda explained that he refused to resign because he had done the right thing.
“We are sworn to protect and serve, and that is what I was doing,” Castaneda said.
Castaneda was then fired by Hunt for, “acting outside his scope of employment and training,” according to the separation notice.
Castaneda also explained that Hunt had never received a report of the incident because he was fired before he could file the report.
According to the Larwason Act, which the Town of New Llano is governed by, the Chief of Police cannot fire an employee but has to make a termination recommendation that is then either approved or disapproved by council members.
John Gallagher, an attorney with the Louisiana Municipal’s Association, explained that normally a recommendation should be made to the council before an employee is terminated, but that retroactive action to approve the dismissal is valid.
The New Llano Town Council held a special meeting on Jan. 25, 2007, where Hunt addressed the council recommending that Castaneda’s employment be terminated.
Councilwoman Carolyn Todd made a motion to terminate Castaneda’s employment, but to include pay retroactive through Dec. 17 and the motion was seconded by Councilman Charles Balthrop.
Councilman Ervin Wilson then asked if they could discuss why Castaneda was being terminated and Boswell said that under the privacy act they could not discuss why he was being terminated.
The board then voted unanimously to terminate his employment.
Castaneda explained that he had spoken with several members of the town council and was under the impression that he was going to be fired, but that he would receive retroactive pay, his record would be cleared and that he would receive an apology.
Castaneda said that situations like this is what often gives cops a bad name.
”What would have happened if the baby had been hurt worse or possibly died? Then I would have been the cop who didn’t do anything. What would have happened if I had just walked away after calling the ambulance?” he questioned. “The one good thing that came out of this is that Rebekah is doing well and that her family is appreciative for what I did.”
The New Llano Chief, Mayor and council members refused to comment about the incident.
“What happened to Rebekah gives me nightmares. I can’t believe they fired him. He was just doing his job,” Sunsdahl said.
“If the ambulance had just shown up, none of this would have happened. I feel terrible that he has been fired and I can’t believe that they are doing this to him,” Sunsdahl said.
Terry Arceneaux, Vice President of Operations for Acadian Ambulance, would not comment about the incident due to patient confidentiality.
Castaneda has not been able to find work since. “I am looking at a couple of jobs in Texas and will probably have to move my family out of the area,” he said.
www.leesvilledailyleader.com/articles/2007/02/05/news/news2.txt
By KELLY MOORE
NEW LLANO, LOUISIANA - A former New Llano police officer is without a job, but is questioning why he was fired after coming to the aid of a citizen while on duty recently.
Alex Castaneda, a former member of the New Llano Police Department, was relieved of duty after assisting Cady Sunsdahl and her child after a harrowing event in December.
Sunsdahl explained that on Dec. 15 she, along with her two children, were at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Leesville picking up a birthday cake for her 4-year-old when her 8-week-old daughter fell from the shopping cart landing face down in the parking lot.
“On the way back to our car after picking up the birthday cake, the cake slipped from the bottom of the basket and broke,” Sunsdahl explained. “My daughter was upset, so I picked up the cake and was carrying it in one hand while pushing the cart with the other to go back into the store to either get the cake fixed or to buy a new one. Rebekah was buckled into her car seat and was secured in the buggy, when all of a sudden the car seat was falling from the cart.”
“It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to react,” she continued. “The next thing I new she was lying face down in the parking lot.”
Sunsdahl then explained that several people came to her assistance and one began calling for an ambulance, all the while telling her not to move her daughter for fear more injuries would be caused.
According to Sunsdahl Castaneda, who was on duty, walked up and introduced himself and asked if he could assist her.
“He called the Acadian Ambulance and while we were waiting a nurse walked up and told us that we needed to take my daughter to the hospital, but I was in no condition to drive,” Sunsdahl said.
After waiting for more than 10 minutes Castaneda called Acadian again and was told that it would be at least 10 more minutes before they would arrive.
“We didn’t know if it was life or death,” Castaneda said. “This was an 10-week-old baby, she was crying, and that was good, but we didn’t know how hurt she was.”
Castaneda then drove Sunsdahl along with her children to Bayne Jones Army Community Hospital where they were met by her husband.
“Alex radioed ahead and let the hospital know we were coming and then carried my daughter into the emergency room,” Sunsdahl said.
Sunsdahl explained that Castaneda then stayed with her 4-year-old until a babysitter could arrive so that she and her husband could be with Rebekah while she was examined.
After the Sunsdahls arrived at the hospital, a cat scan was ordered for Rebekah and she was diagnosed with a severely bruised skull.
“They told us that she was going to have a complete recovery and that her skull had done it’s job, but we had to be very careful with her,” Sunsdahl said.
Castaneda explained that when he arrived on the scene he called the New Llano Police Department and explained where he was and what he was doing.
He also explained that as he left the hospital he was ordered back to the office where he was reprimanded by New Llano Chief of Police Danny Hunt.
Castaneda then had the next two days off of work and went to Alexandria to attend the wedding of a friend.
“On Sunday morning I got a text message from the Chief (Hunt) and it said that I needed to be at the Police Department at 5 p.m. (Sunday, Dec. 17) for a meeting with him, Mayor Freddie Boswell and the town’s attorney, Jack Simms,” Castaneda said.
Castaneda explained that when he arrived at the meeting Hunt and another officer were the only ones there and that he was asked to either resign or be fired.
Castaneda explained that he refused to resign because he had done the right thing.
“We are sworn to protect and serve, and that is what I was doing,” Castaneda said.
Castaneda was then fired by Hunt for, “acting outside his scope of employment and training,” according to the separation notice.
Castaneda also explained that Hunt had never received a report of the incident because he was fired before he could file the report.
According to the Larwason Act, which the Town of New Llano is governed by, the Chief of Police cannot fire an employee but has to make a termination recommendation that is then either approved or disapproved by council members.
John Gallagher, an attorney with the Louisiana Municipal’s Association, explained that normally a recommendation should be made to the council before an employee is terminated, but that retroactive action to approve the dismissal is valid.
The New Llano Town Council held a special meeting on Jan. 25, 2007, where Hunt addressed the council recommending that Castaneda’s employment be terminated.
Councilwoman Carolyn Todd made a motion to terminate Castaneda’s employment, but to include pay retroactive through Dec. 17 and the motion was seconded by Councilman Charles Balthrop.
Councilman Ervin Wilson then asked if they could discuss why Castaneda was being terminated and Boswell said that under the privacy act they could not discuss why he was being terminated.
The board then voted unanimously to terminate his employment.
Castaneda explained that he had spoken with several members of the town council and was under the impression that he was going to be fired, but that he would receive retroactive pay, his record would be cleared and that he would receive an apology.
Castaneda said that situations like this is what often gives cops a bad name.
”What would have happened if the baby had been hurt worse or possibly died? Then I would have been the cop who didn’t do anything. What would have happened if I had just walked away after calling the ambulance?” he questioned. “The one good thing that came out of this is that Rebekah is doing well and that her family is appreciative for what I did.”
The New Llano Chief, Mayor and council members refused to comment about the incident.
“What happened to Rebekah gives me nightmares. I can’t believe they fired him. He was just doing his job,” Sunsdahl said.
“If the ambulance had just shown up, none of this would have happened. I feel terrible that he has been fired and I can’t believe that they are doing this to him,” Sunsdahl said.
Terry Arceneaux, Vice President of Operations for Acadian Ambulance, would not comment about the incident due to patient confidentiality.
Castaneda has not been able to find work since. “I am looking at a couple of jobs in Texas and will probably have to move my family out of the area,” he said.
www.leesvilledailyleader.com/articles/2007/02/05/news/news2.txt