The Denver Post
City may reveal today whether it will appeal Turney ruling
Thursday, January 20, 2005 -
Denver's city attorney might announce today if the city will appeal the recent rejection of a police officer's suspension in a fatal shooting.
Denver Civil Service Commission hearing officer John Criswell on Jan. 13 struck down a 10-month suspension imposed on officer James Turney for fatally shooting a developmentally disabled teen holding a knife in July 2003. Criswell found that Turney's only violations were making a threatening call to his former mother-in-law and excessive use of his cellphone while on duty, and reduced his 10-month suspension to five days and a fine of one day's pay. City Attorney Cole Finegan said Wednesday that his staff has spent the past week debating if, when and how to appeal. "We are extremely close to making a final decision and probably will do so by (today)," Finegan said. Nine of the Denver City Council's 13 members signed a letter sent to Finegan on Wednesday urging him to appeal the ruling. "Public safety demands that Denver residents have complete confidence in their Police Department and its leadership's ability to manage and evaluate each officer's behavior and tactics in the field," the letter reads. "Managers must be able to appropriately and fairly discipline officers." Signing the letter were council members Elbra Wedgeworth, Rick Garcia, Rosemary Rodriguez, Peggy Lehmann, Marcia Johnson, Judy Montero, Michael Hancock, Carol Boigon and Doug Linkhart. Turney's lawyer did not return a phone message seeking comment on Wednesday. Staff writer Sean Kelly contributed to this report. |