Post by WaTcHeR on Jan 24, 2007 13:47:48 GMT -5
01.24.2007 - CHANNAHON -- What began with the investigation of a police officer who shot what he said was a sick stray cat last summer, ended Monday afternoon, when lies related to the incident cost the officer his job.
Police officer Michael Fruehling was fired after the Channahon Police and Fire Commission found him guilty on three charges of misconduct relating to the Aug. 5 cat incident.
A local family, the Campbells, believe the animal was their cat, Jeffrey.
Fruehling faced just one count directly related to how he handled the cat. Other charges dealt with how he handled the incident afterward.
The board ruled he lied to a detective during an official investigation; did not tell his supervisor that he had fired his gun the day of the incident; and did not try to take care of the cat in any way other than shooting it.
Fruehling was found not guilty on a fourth charge that he did not file a written report of the firearm discharge.
It was suggested during the commission's hearing that Fruehling would have been suspended for a just a few days as discipline for choosing to shoot the cat and for not filing proper paperwork, but the charges of lying got the attention of the commissioners.
Police department policy specifically states, "Lying to . . . a superior officer while being questioned regarding official misconduct will result in dismissal from the department."
Commissioners said they had no choice but to recommend termination.
Channahon Police Chief Steve Admonis said it is imperative for officers to tell the truth in all circumstances.
"We are role models in our community," he said. "If police officers lie, how do we trust them? They're no longer a trusted individual, and I can no longer use that individual in the job. . . The trust is gone."
"We certainly regret it when any member of our organization is terminated," said Village President Joe Cook in a statement after the decision. "But the integrity of our officers is something the village demands and will not take a back seat to . . . and for that reason, the police and fire commission moved forward with that determination, and their decision is supported by myself and the village."
Cook said Fruehling's conduct regarding the cat was also unacceptable, but being forthright with the facts is essential for a police officer.
Initial call
The August incident that prompted the initial investigation began with officer Fruehling responding to a dispatch call about a village resident asking police to help with an "aggressive" cat. The resident said the cat was attacking his children.
While Dean and Cheryl Campbell say the cat fit the description of their missing housecat, Jeffery, Fruehling said the cat he saw was coughing up red vomit or blood and, from the look of its fur and paws, was obviously a sick stray.
Fruehling said he took the animal to his car with a rabies pole, then drove the cat to an isolated area and shot it with his gun. He thought the animal was sick and suffering, he told commissioners, and he made the decision to euthanize it.
Fruehling said he knew that an area veterinary clinic, Mallard Point, was available for officers to take hurt animals to, but that he also knew that the clinic might euthanize the animal in a few days, anyway, if he was a stray and no one came to claim him.
But commissioners decided that the officer did not "try other means of disposition" for the cat, and found Fruehling guilty of that charge.
Common practices
It's a common practice in the department, Fruehling said, for officers to euthanize very sick or dying animals. Several other officers took the stand Monday and testified that they had euthanized several animals over the years.
It's not common practice to write reports on the incidents, either, Fruehling's lawyer argued. Officers backed that fact up, as well, which spurred the commissioners to dismiss the charge that Fruehling did not write a report on the weapon discharge that day.
But when Fruehling told investigating Detective Dave Margliano that he did tell his supervisor he shot the cat and that he did file a report on a weapon discharge that day, commissioners decided he was lying.
And in spite of Fruehling's union lawyer arguing that his client did tell the truth and that Fruehling was a reliable and trustworthy officer, the commission found him guilty.
'The right decision'
"It was the right decision," village lawyer Jim Murphy said after the hearing. "We don't take pleasure in an incident like this, but we need truthful officers. It's paramount."
Commission President William Kennedy said the decision was a very difficult one for him and the other commissioners, but said they carefully weighed the evidence before making the decision.
"We can not tolerate lying in this department," Kennedy said.
The Campbells were present throughout the hearing and said they still had many unanswered questions. They said the officer got what he deserved, but their cat didn't.
If the officer had taken Jeffrey to the veterinary clinic, they said, he might still be with them today.
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/226427,4_1_JO24_JEFFERY_S1.article