Post by Critique on Jan 10, 2007 14:38:39 GMT -5
01/13/2005
Two otherwise good, veteran cops got into hot water, one in Elyria and one in Lorain. But the penalties for each present a disturbing contrast that doesn't look good for Lorain.
In Elyria, Sgt. Bryan Rado faces a 30-day unpaid suspension for doing his college math homework while on duty several times last summer, and asking dispatchers on duty for help with that homework. He should have been focusing his whole attention on his job as Sunday shift supervisor in charge of police operations, according to Chief Michael Medders. The final penalty will be up to Safety-Service Director Eric Rothgery.
In Lorain, Officer Michael Hendershot should have had his police assault rifle locked in a sergeant's office after he took it out of his cruiser. Instead, the weapon was left in Hendershot's locked garage at home. Off-duty and intoxicated, Hendershot gave his garage key to an intoxicated buddy so he could go get a beer from the garage.
That's when the loaded friend found the loaded assault rifle and sprayed 18 sizzling-hot 9mm slugs into the neighborhood. One shot narrowly missed a woman in the house across the street. Bullets blasted through windows in two parked vehicles, and Hendershot's garage door was ventilated. The friend claimed he thought the gun was loaded with blanks. Hendershot said he was drunk at the time and didn't hear anything.
The penalties?
In Elyria, Rado faces a 30-day unpaid suspension for doing homework on duty.
In Lorain, Hendershot gets a 3-day unpaid suspension. That's not a misprint. Hendershot gets a 3-day unpaid suspension. Today is his first day. Chief Cel Rivera said he knows some people will think Hendershot got off easy (no kidding), but he called it fair because of Hendershot's good record, financial loss, remorse, embarrassment.
As far as we're concerned, the real embarrassment is that anybody in Lorain is satisfied that letting a loaded police assault rifle fall into the hands of an intoxicated civilian who nearly kills someone rates only a 3-day suspension. Chief Rivera's boss, Lorain Safety Service Director Craig Miller, could have toughened the penalty on Hendershot, but didn't.
In Elyria, Chief Medders can hold his head high for being stern and protecting the professionalism and integrity of his police department.
In Lorain, all we can say is, duck.
www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=566374&newsid=13741835
Two otherwise good, veteran cops got into hot water, one in Elyria and one in Lorain. But the penalties for each present a disturbing contrast that doesn't look good for Lorain.
In Elyria, Sgt. Bryan Rado faces a 30-day unpaid suspension for doing his college math homework while on duty several times last summer, and asking dispatchers on duty for help with that homework. He should have been focusing his whole attention on his job as Sunday shift supervisor in charge of police operations, according to Chief Michael Medders. The final penalty will be up to Safety-Service Director Eric Rothgery.
In Lorain, Officer Michael Hendershot should have had his police assault rifle locked in a sergeant's office after he took it out of his cruiser. Instead, the weapon was left in Hendershot's locked garage at home. Off-duty and intoxicated, Hendershot gave his garage key to an intoxicated buddy so he could go get a beer from the garage.
That's when the loaded friend found the loaded assault rifle and sprayed 18 sizzling-hot 9mm slugs into the neighborhood. One shot narrowly missed a woman in the house across the street. Bullets blasted through windows in two parked vehicles, and Hendershot's garage door was ventilated. The friend claimed he thought the gun was loaded with blanks. Hendershot said he was drunk at the time and didn't hear anything.
The penalties?
In Elyria, Rado faces a 30-day unpaid suspension for doing homework on duty.
In Lorain, Hendershot gets a 3-day unpaid suspension. That's not a misprint. Hendershot gets a 3-day unpaid suspension. Today is his first day. Chief Cel Rivera said he knows some people will think Hendershot got off easy (no kidding), but he called it fair because of Hendershot's good record, financial loss, remorse, embarrassment.
As far as we're concerned, the real embarrassment is that anybody in Lorain is satisfied that letting a loaded police assault rifle fall into the hands of an intoxicated civilian who nearly kills someone rates only a 3-day suspension. Chief Rivera's boss, Lorain Safety Service Director Craig Miller, could have toughened the penalty on Hendershot, but didn't.
In Elyria, Chief Medders can hold his head high for being stern and protecting the professionalism and integrity of his police department.
In Lorain, all we can say is, duck.
www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=566374&newsid=13741835