Cop fired after helping fellow officers in distress

[waggy]

http://beta.news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/cop-fired-helping-fellow-officers-distress-150454649.html




While I understand possibly needing some disciplinary action for his actions, (leaving his assigned area without notifying his supervisor of his location) firing the guy for responding to "Officer Needs Assistance" or "Officer Down" seems excessive.

100x this.

 

[TheVrolok]

Maybe there's some stuff going on with this guy that we don't know about? Past disciplinary problems and what not.

I would have to "hope" that this is the case. I can't imagine his dismissal was only due to this incident, even though vanishing without letting dispatch know is a pretty massive no-no. If it was just this incident, I'd be pretty shocked that the University didn't sit him down, have a talk, maybe suspend him, then let him go about his business.

 

[jlee]

I may have missed it, but did he get an administrative review or anything, or did they just fire him on the spot? There's got to be something more to the story - firing someone for this alone would be political suicide.

 

[Powermoloch]

That cop should've gotten a heroes welcome, but this is bullshit.

I hope he gets a sweet Police department that will welcome him back to the force (i'm sure he will)

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Why didn't the Houston Police Department hire him on the spot? I think some of their current employees are quite happy to have him as their colleague.

http://policecrunch.com/2011/05/27/police-officer-answers-call-for-officer-down-and-gets-fired/

 

[BoomerD]

http://www.khou.com/home/Fellow-lawmen-fight-for-fired-Rice-University-police-officer-123250583.html

So the guy was two minutes away from the scene...not clear across town...Rice admits they've responded to requests for help from external agencies 37 times so far in 2011...yet they fired the guy for allegedly not notifying his superior...which he claims he did...

"In all instances, Rice officers are required to promptly notify the RUPD dispatcher of their location and the situation, and they have portable radios and mobile radios in their police vehicles for that purpose. All radio transmissions are recorded, logged and monitored by the Rice police sergeant on duty. This enables the sergeant to monitor the situation to ensure that the officer is safe when responding to calls off campus, and also to ensure that enough officers are on duty on campus to protect the safety of our students and employees," the Rice statement read.

Sedmak said he alerted his supervisors by radio.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Supervisor probably forgot to arrange replacement or notify anyone, and now denies everything.

 

[Nik]

"Sedmak left his post when only two other officers were on duty and failed to notify his supervisor of his whereabouts for nearly an hour, which could have endangered the safety of our students and campus," according to the university.

That's enough for me to laugh and suggest he choose a different career.

 

[Alone]

A real law enforcement agency will probably offer him a job. If he didn't say anything he's technically in the wrong, and I understand discipline. But you don't fire someone for something like this.

 

[silverpig]

He failed the people that were paying his wages, namely the students at the campus. He is a public servant and he should have gotten approval for leaving his post, just as a waitress would have to get approval to walk to the crowded restaurant next door to relieve their waitstaff. Thus, good riddance.

Oh like you've never posted on ATOT from work...

 

[Nik]

A real law enforcement agency will probably offer him a job. If he didn't say anything he's technically in the wrong, and I understand discipline. But you don't fire someone for something like this.

Quite the opposite. For someone who's got that much responsibility, being out of contact with a superior away from your assigned duty station and remain out of contact for more than an hour, you deserve to be fired on the spot.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Oh like you've never posted on ATOT from work...

He probably informed his supervisor when doing so!

 

[Alone]

Quite the opposite. For someone who's got that much responsibility, being out of contact with a superior away from your assigned duty station and remain out of contact for more than an hour, you deserve to be fired on the spot.

Everything falls to the side when it comes to saving a life. I really hope you understand that.

 

[jlee]

Quite the opposite. For someone who's got that much responsibility, being out of contact with a superior away from your assigned duty station and remain out of contact for more than an hour, you deserve to be fired on the spot.

"failed to notify his supervisor of his whereabouts for nearly an hour" is different than "out of contact for more than an hour."

Or did I miss the part where dispatch tried to get in touch with him and couldn't?

 

[dmcowen674]

Texas, figures

 

[slayer202]

quick look on googlemaps and it seems like the campus is 11 minutes away from the closest greyhound station. I think they're on the same road, so he could have made it quicker I guess? I'm surprised he would have been the first one though. I know he was trying to help, but I can go both ways on this.

 

[Double Trouble]

I think there has to be more to this, some prior history or other reason why they wanted him out. I can't imagine in any decent organization that you'd get rid of a good employee over something relatively small, especially given the fact that he did it to help protect people.

If he'd left to go have a brew with his buddies for an hour or something, yes, fire him.... but firing him because he went to help out other officers in a dangerous situation? That seems absurd.

 

[Texashiker]

While I understand possibly needing some disciplinary action for his actions, (leaving his assigned area without notifying his supervisor of his location) firing the guy for responding to "Officer Needs Assistance" or "Officer Down" seems excessive.

Its pretty clear that the supervisor is either a mall cop or a mall ninja. With his/her vast experience, they should know the right thing to do.

Mall ninjas and mall cops know everything, so dont even try to debate them.

Texas, figures

Supervisor probably moved here from new york or california.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally Posted by dmcowen674
Texas, figures

Supervisor probably moved here from new york or california.

I can't vouch for California but I know if it was New Yorker would be buying him rounds at a local club and hooking him up good.

Obviously you are a Texan and wouldn't know anything about that.

Must be too much snake oil.

 

[Nebor]

I may have missed it, but did he get an administrative review or anything, or did they just fire him on the spot? There's got to be something more to the story - firing someone for this alone would be political suicide.

It's a private university. They can do whatever they want. In Texas, private universities can have their own commissioned peace officers.

For all the people saying "who wants to work as a campus cop anyway," you have to realize he was working for an expensive private university, pulling down a big salary while taking far fewer risks than at his old job in Galveston, or a potential new job with the Houston PD.

Having known a few people who worked as campus police officers, it's a very political system. Usually when a new chief comes in, they clean house and hire all their friends. You just have to give them a reason.

 

[mikelish]

it's interesting that a cop CAN be fired.

if a cop shoots up some innocent people for no reason, he's put on paid leave for 2 weeks.

 

[mvbighead]

Officer in distress is way more important than being gone for an hour. Pretty sure you can verify his whereabouts with the few officers he assisted after the fact. Sounds like he called in, so I fail to see what he did wrong.

Even had he not called in, shots fired on an officer are likely situations that are the most crucial where a timely response is required. He left a cushy University post to go assist on something that may have gotten him shot. Guy should be commended, not fired. If he left his post without notifying a supervisor, training or write-up may be justified, but outright dismissal is pretty screwed up.

 

[JTsyo]

He got there before the city guys did. That's pretty damn close.

There were already 2 LEOs there :whiste:

 

[lupi]

Not a cop and abandoned his position without notice.

 

[dabuddha]

I'm sure all these folks would be singing a different tune if some nutjob had come onto campus and start mowing down students while this campus cop was AWOL.