Mutt Farkinov: On a more serious note...

I'm not going to play devil's advocate here. This guy in the article acted in a reprehensible manner in light of the responsibility and public trust he was SUPPOSED to carry.

I work in emergency services. More specifically, I'm a paramedic/firefighter and I work in a rough town. No, it's not as bad as Detroit, but we've ranked pretty high per capita in some areas of violent crime in recent years. I respect cops because they've carried the weight to settle threats to me and my guys, be it gained through crooked means or not. For example, imagine trying to work on someone in the back of an ambulance, in the middle of a night club parking lot, while an angry mob is rocking the vehicle side-to-side from the exterior. Then the "po-po" shows up and puts a stop to it. It doesn't matter where they derive their authority from, we're just damn glad to see them.

One of these police officers that could be considered an enforcer in such situations has recently been arraigned for sexual assault of a minor. I would have once white-knighted the guy, but of course that's been reevaluated. Still, it's hard to forget those times he intervened for me and my guys and kept us safe.

My point of this whole CSB is to say that cop haters or defenders want to see this shiat in black and white, but it rarely ever is.

Bingo! Here's the apologist.
It is certainly black and white when it comes to the fact that the idiot in question is a convicted criminal. His job is to catch criminals, not be one.

wildsnowllama: Don't worry, they'll hire him back as a consultant with thrice the pay.

/I just like the word "thrice."

I'd rather see his paycheck being trebled, personally.

Bottom line: this filthy rat-bastard is guilty of a felony, cop or not. He doesn't deserve a job, nor an opportunity to sue anyone. He DOES deserve jail for life at hard labor.

norahc: Another comment from a City Council member (from the link):
Council-member Salvatori said Monday, "Some battles are fought for principle and some battles are fought for dollars. When you fight for principles you fight until hell freezes over and then you fight on the ice."

For some reason, I have the desire to buy that Council-member a beer.

I've generally been pretty proud of the police services in the municipalities in which I've resided; Canada has some pretty professional cops.

However, there was a cop a few years ago who blew through a red and hit somebody. I can't remember if it was a fatal, but I was still offended that his punishment was a traffic ticket. He wasn't on duty, so although his employer was reported as part of the story, there was no job-related punishment.

How in the hell can someone be a cop when they obviously believe (and have shown through public action) that they believe the rules don't apply to them?

I lived in Madison, CT for a while during their police scandal (NYTimes (new window)). Basically this is a town of 18,000 with 24 cops. During the course of the investigation, 8 officers were found stealing from local businesses, hiring prostitutes while on duty etc. The chief was "suspended" and now 5 years later the town is still paying two police force salaries because they haven't been able to fire the corrupt cops but for obvious reasons can't have them doing police work.

It's farking unbelievable, as a cop you can walk into a restaurant's cold storage, steal a bag of lobsters, head to a vacant lot for some tail, get caught and retire with pay.

Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom: Fluorescent Testicle: FTFA: Last week, Mayor David Condon had asked the Council to table the item, while the State Human Rights Commission proceeds with an additional review of the matter that includes a claim of disability discrimination.

Wait, being a complete waste of oxygen is considered to be a disability now?

They're claiming that non-induced stress led to.his."disability" of being an alcoholic.

To be fair, almost ant condition is a disability in liberal America. From their growing net of disability definitions, neat 5% of Americans are considered too disabled to work and receive checks. I have am uncle whose disability is that he liked heroin as a youth. He is 62 and never had a job after age 22.

Disability is the new backdoor welfare.

Under the agreement, the city would also pay his attorney $15,000. Thoma's attorney, Bob Dunn, argues that job-related stress led Thoma to alcoholism and should be regarded as a disability.

Hahahahah

fark AA for letting people think that drinking too much is some kind of disease.

What about the other cops that aren't alcoholics despite the stress? Does being an alcoholic mean you have to drive drunk?

In closing, fark the police.

In a settlement mediated by the Washington State Human Rights Commission, Brad Thoma was set to be rehired March 1 in a demoted position of detective, if the Spokane City Council agreed to the deal on Monday.

So it a human right to drink and drive and keep your job that requires driving and arresting people for what you do?

Bob Dunn, argues that job-related stress led Thoma to alcoholism and should be regarded as a disability.

Has this ever worked?

ElizaDoolittle: I'm as liberal as they come, unless they are about to lose control of their car and someone I love is in their carefree path.

So, you're a law and order conservative when you are directly impacted and a free-love liberal when you're not.

Check.

Sore subject for us Hoosiers. David Basard was an Indy cop. While responding to a call that he was not assigned to ( he was off-duty, in civilian clothes in his cruiser) he smashed into 2 motorcyclists, killing one. GIS for this guys cruiser, it was no love tap. His blood tested positive for alcohol at .19, but because this test was administered at an immediate care facility which is not an appropriate venue for whatever reason, THE ALCOHOL CANT EVEN BE CONSIDERED in his case. His case may have to be tried as though this was just an unfortunate accident. This all happened while I was serving 3 months in jail for a .08 DUI for failing to signal a turn.

Spokane's Police Guild terrorize run the city.



Good luck with the lawsuit, council members.

Fluorescent Testicle: FTFA: Last week, Mayor David Condon had asked the Council to table the item, while the State Human Rights Commission proceeds with an additional review of the matter that includes a claim of disability discrimination.

Wait, being a complete waste of oxygen is considered to be a disability now?

If the guy successfully proves alcoholism, he will win. That is considered a disability (disclaimer: I'm not sure about everywhere, but it is in Tennessee).

It's not right in the slightest, but there you go.

The city opens itself up to a much bigger lawduit if the guy hits a citizen in a cop car while drunk. The Job stress claim certainly doesn't explain away the hit and run. A dishonest cop is unfit to serve.

Policemen every where should be standing up and denouncing this jackass.

Carousel Beast: Fluorescent Testicle: FTFA: Last week, Mayor David Condon had asked the Council to table the item, while the State Human Rights Commission proceeds with an additional review of the matter that includes a claim of disability discrimination.

Wait, being a complete waste of oxygen is considered to be a disability now?

If the guy successfully proves alcoholism, he will win. That is considered a disability (disclaimer: I'm not sure about everywhere, but it is in Tennessee).

It's not right in the slightest, but there you go.

I know it can be considered a disability, but if it is always considered one couldn't you use it as a defense against drunk driving?

norahc: When you fight for principles you fight until hell freezes over and then you fight on the ice."

I like that quote.

liam76: I know it can be considered a disability, but if it is always considered one couldn't you use it as a defense against drunk driving?

How awesome would it be if the officer won the case, paving the way for every drunk driver in Tennessee to be dismissed of all charges claiming alcoholism. Proof of alcoholism: Realization they lived in Tennessee.

You'll get nothing and like it!

Even if alcoholism is a "disability" that doesn't give you the right to commit crimes. He was fired for committing a crime not for being a drunk.

I can't imagine a rapist would be excused for their actions because of the disability that is Sex Addiction.

Sounds like extortion; give me the money and rehire me or I will sue.

metametameta: CrispFlows: Alcoholism may be a disability but it is definitely something that would disbar serving in a public trust capacity.

You don't hire a profoundly deaf man to be an air traffic controller or a 911 dispatcher.
You don't hire a completely blind man to an electrician or a fighter pilot.
You don't hire an idiot to be an mathematician or a NASA mission coordinator.

Besides, the excuse of alcoholism doesn't make sense - why are criminals in jail that committed crimes while under the influence of alcohol?

By that logic, they couldn't help themselves cause they have a disease.

It's also an insult to all the responsible alcoholics who treat their disease seriously and collect their sober tokens. Being an alcoholic doesn't automatically mean it's okay to be drunk or commit crimes. He wasn't fired for being an alcoholic, he was fired because he was a drunk. They aren't the same thing.

/Best friend is 15 years sober.

It's not an easy thing to beat... I agree with whoever said it'd be different if he went to his supervisor and said "You know what? I have a drinking problem due to on the job stress. Is there any chance I could get some time off to beat this?". But he didn't. fark him and fark his lawsuit.

/almost 14 years sober

Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom: Fluorescent Testicle: FTFA: Last week, Mayor David Condon had asked the Council to table the item, while the State Human Rights Commission proceeds with an additional review of the matter that includes a claim of disability discrimination.

Wait, being a complete waste of oxygen is considered to be a disability now?

They're claiming that non-induced stress led to.his."disability" of being an alcoholic.

Maybe. But while his "disability" may have led to his drinking, it did not cause him to break the law by driving drunk, hitting someone, and leaving, which is what led to him losing his job.

Also, were I the person he hit, as soon as he filed his lawsuit I would file mine. I'd go after him for anything he made.

Ken VeryBigLiar: And now the city gets the fun of a $4MM lawsuit for making a breathless, over-exaggerated gesture.

Firing a cop for committing a DUI hit-and-run is a "breathless, over-exaggerated gesture"??

That's called "the right thing to do".

the ha ha guy: 9beers: Read the article, by voting no, they opened themselves up to a lawsuit that could cost them a lot more.

Re-hiring him means they are guaranteed to pay every penny he's asking for, along with putting a convicted drunk driver back on the police force. Allowing it to go to court means they only have to pay $15k, with a tiny chance of paying $4 mill.

As for the court case itself, he's trying to have alcoholism recognized under the ADA. If he's successful, if a judge officially recognizes alcoholism as a disability, that ruling would effectively pave the way toward nullifying the DUI laws, and result in far more lenient punishments for those who do get into accidents while drunk.

Regardless of whether or not this guy has a legitimate case, the precedent alone means he doesn't stand a chance in front of any sane judge.

I hope he gets laughed out of court. What kind of d-bag thinks that they should get their job in law enforcement back after they get wasted and commit a hit-and-run? And who the fark was like, "Yeah, let's sue.... for FOUR MILLION DOLLARS"?!

I know police forces are pretty corrupt, but this would take it to a whole new level.

I deal with a lot of bullshiat and drama at work, and I occasionally drink, but that doesn't mean I'm going to drink myself retarded, get arrested for a DUI, and then blame it on my job. If your job causes you too much stress, WALK THE FARK AWAY.

norahc: Enemabag Jones: 9beers,Read the article, by voting no, they opened themselves up to a lawsuit that could cost them a lot more.

Sometimes standing on principle is the right thing to do. Let the douchebag sue.
He is for $4 million. New Link

Another comment from a City Council member (from the link):
Council-member Salvatori said Monday, "Some battles are fought for principle and some battles are fought for dollars. When you fight for principles you fight until hell freezes over and then you fight on the ice."

Did he make that up himself? Because if he did, it's pretty kick-ass. It should be in a book, like one with dudes in three story tall mechanized infantry combat suits slugging it out with giant tentacle monsters. Or something equally kick-ass.

namegoeshere: Also, were I the person he hit, as soon as he filed his lawsuit I would file mine. I'd go after him for anything he made.

Is there a reason to wait? Why not go for it now?

liam76: Carousel Beast: Fluorescent Testicle: FTFA: Last week, Mayor David Condon had asked the Council to table the item, while the State Human Rights Commission proceeds with an additional review of the matter that includes a claim of disability discrimination.

Wait, being a complete waste of oxygen is considered to be a disability now?

If the guy successfully proves alcoholism, he will win. That is considered a disability (disclaimer: I'm not sure about everywhere, but it is in Tennessee).

It's not right in the slightest, but there you go.

I know it can be considered a disability, but if it is always considered one couldn't you use it as a defense against drunk driving?

Only if laws are consistent, but remember, if you refuse sobriety tests, you're assumed guilty with no proof, and for whatever farked up reason, the courts think that's constitutional.

More_Like_A_Stain: namegoeshere: Also, were I the person he hit, as soon as he filed his lawsuit I would file mine. I'd go after him for anything he made.

Is there a reason to wait? Why not go for it now?

I was thinking of it as more of a consequence. You screwed up, guy. I am a forgiving person. If you apologize, own it, and try to make it right and do better next time, we're good. I've done some stupid shiat myself. (Never DUI hit and run, but still) Onlyinstead of doing that, now you're going to whine about how it isn't your fault and how you should be paid for your suffering and be a farking dick about it? Fine. Give me the money you win. Not yours.

I'm thinking a LOT of you guys have no knowledge of context. We've given up on police shenanigans in this town. Too many years of abuses. We, as citizens, didn't start this shiat. It was Terry Mangan. But it looks like we're gonna finish it.

The most recent example:

Link (new window)

Now if that'll get you fired, how the hell will getting drunk, hitting someone and then fleeing the scene be ok?

If they did rehire him he could potentially cost them more than $4 mil down the road one day with another accident. Hope he enjoys being a mall cop

rohar: I'm thinking a LOT of you guys have no knowledge of context. We've given up on police shenanigans in this town. Too many years of abuses. We, as citizens, didn't start this shiat. It was Terry Mangan. But it looks like we're gonna finish it.

The most recent example:

Link (new window)

Now if that'll get you fired, how the hell will getting drunk, hitting someone and then fleeing the scene be ok?

That's fascinating. That article had me wonder though - is it really misuse the police equipment that got him fired or who he looked up with the police equipment?