Picture of Officers Gary P. Lee & Scott C. Tanner

[WaTcHeR]

Officer Gary P. Lee and Officer Scott C. Tanner

09/14/06 - DURHAM - Two Durham police officers charged with assaulting a cook outside a Raleigh sports bar have been fired, Police Chief Steve Chalmers said Thursday.

Five officers -- including two investigating the Duke lacrosse rape case -- were questioned about their involvement in the July incident. Only Gary Lee, 38, and Scott Tanner, 33, face misdemeanor assault charges.
Lee and Tanner have seven days to appeal their dismissals. They are set to appear in Wake County court on Sept. 25.

"These two were involved in what I would describe as nothing less than a public brawl with a perfect stranger," Chalmers said. "It really failed to rise to the level of what we expect from our officers."

Tanner is a nine-year veteran of the Durham department assigned to the traffic services division. Lee joined the department in 1999 and works for the special operations division.

An internal review cleared Sgt. Mark Gottlieb, the supervisor of the Duke lacrosse rape investigation, and Officer Richard Clayton, who reports to Gottlieb and has assisted with the Duke case.

James Griffin Jr., a domestic violence investigator, was also cleared of wrongdoing.

Rene Dennis Thomas, the 29-year-old cook at Blinco's sports bar, has said he exchanged words -- including some racial slurs -- with a passenger of a black truck as it sped away from the restaurant July 20. Thomas said several men then got out of cars and surrounded him. The fight happened after that.

abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=triangle&id=4560760

[KC]

September 26, 2006 - RALEIGH -- A former Durham police officer will fight to get his job back.

Scott Tanner was fired more than a week ago for allegedly getting into a fight with a cook at a Raleigh sports bar.

Tanner and fellow officer Gary Lee have been charged with assault.

They appeared before a Wake County judge who continued their hearing to October 30. So far neither has entered a plea.

According to police reports, the two off-duty officers were at Blinco's Restaurant and Bar on Glenwood Avenue July 20 for a "going away" party. When they were leaving, they encountered cook, Rene Thomas, who was taking a smoke break.

Thomas says he yelled, "Whoo-hoo!" after a truck carrying some of the officers peeled out of the parking lot.

He says a man in the truck in turn yelled a racial slur and then they fought.

After an internal investigation, Durham's police chief said his department has not been able to determine that any racial slurs were exchanged.

He is, however, satisfied that Lee and Tanner instigated the incident and fired them, saying his department doesn't see a need to wait for a verdict from the legal system.

Tanner's attorney says he will file paperwork with the city and appeal to get his job back in the next few days.

No word yet if Lee will do the same.

Ultimately the decision could fall into the hands of Durham's city manager.

Three other Durham officers have been cleared in the assault case, including investigators working on the Duke lacrosse rape case.

rdu.news14.com/content/your_news/triangle/default.asp?ArID=91451