Post by WaTcHeR on May 17, 2006 9:56:30 GMT -5
05/17/2006 -
A 29-year-old West Melbourne police sergeant has been demoted after an investigation concluded he shredded several nominations, including two for the department's Medal of Valor award, highlighting the work of fellow officers.
Sean Harnage, who apologized for his actions, was stripped of his rank and placed on a two-week suspension without pay, according to a report issued by Police Chief Brian Lock this week.
Harnage, a police dog handler and tactical trainer at the department for the past decade, will return as an officer with a yet-unspecified reduction in his $41,450 annual salary, according to city finance and police officials.
The report said he also was placed on probation for a year.
The incident, labeled "officer misconduct," occurred Jan. 9 at the West Melbourne Police Department and was captured on the agency's in-house surveillance camera.
Lock would not comment on the case, and Harnage did not return phone calls.
"The investigation's summary stands on its own," said Cmdr. Steve Wilkinson, West Melbourne Police Department spokesman. "Obviously, we still have confidence in him; otherwise, he would be gone."
The nominated officers were involved in the arrest of a drug suspect during a traffic stop, reports said. One of the officers was bitten by a police dog while attempting to restrain the suspect, Wilkinson said.
The administrative report said Harnage was upset that the officers nominated each other. The report also said he was disappointed because they placed the forms in a commander's mail slot without going through him.
Wilkinson said Harnage took the nominations from the slot and later admitted putting them through a shredder.
He said no West Melbourne officer ever has received the award, which would be the department's highest.
A 29-year-old West Melbourne police sergeant has been demoted after an investigation concluded he shredded several nominations, including two for the department's Medal of Valor award, highlighting the work of fellow officers.
Sean Harnage, who apologized for his actions, was stripped of his rank and placed on a two-week suspension without pay, according to a report issued by Police Chief Brian Lock this week.
Harnage, a police dog handler and tactical trainer at the department for the past decade, will return as an officer with a yet-unspecified reduction in his $41,450 annual salary, according to city finance and police officials.
The report said he also was placed on probation for a year.
The incident, labeled "officer misconduct," occurred Jan. 9 at the West Melbourne Police Department and was captured on the agency's in-house surveillance camera.
Lock would not comment on the case, and Harnage did not return phone calls.
"The investigation's summary stands on its own," said Cmdr. Steve Wilkinson, West Melbourne Police Department spokesman. "Obviously, we still have confidence in him; otherwise, he would be gone."
The nominated officers were involved in the arrest of a drug suspect during a traffic stop, reports said. One of the officers was bitten by a police dog while attempting to restrain the suspect, Wilkinson said.
The administrative report said Harnage was upset that the officers nominated each other. The report also said he was disappointed because they placed the forms in a commander's mail slot without going through him.
Wilkinson said Harnage took the nominations from the slot and later admitted putting them through a shredder.
He said no West Melbourne officer ever has received the award, which would be the department's highest.