The Denver Post
Mayor testifies in appeal of Turney discipline
Thursday, October 28, 2004 -
Top Denver officials said Wednesday that the suspension of police officer James Turney in connection with a controversial shooting last year was not politically motivated.
Mayor John Hickenlooper testified that he stayed out of the discipline process even while he met with representatives of the family of Paul Childs, the 15-year-old developmentally disabled boy shot by Turney last year. "As best I could, I should be clear of the process," Hickenlooper said at a civil service hearing. And Police Chief Gerry Whitman said in testimony that he believed Turney acted inappropriately in the moments before the shooting, placing himself in harm's way. The chief has said Turney will not work the streets again after his suspension. "He operated outside of his training," Whitman said. Turney, 30, is appealing a 10-month suspension he received for alleged procedural mistakes leading up to the July 5, 2003, shooting of the knife-wielding teenager and for alleged telephone threats against his former mother-in-law. The suspension was imposed by Manager of Safety Al LaCabe, who found that Turney did not act within the department's "efficiency and safety" regulation. Police discipline goes through the chief before the safety manager makes a final determination. Doug Jewell, the primary attorney representing Turney, asked questions about Hickenlooper's influence on the process and about comparable discipline. Whitman said he recalled only two other instances in which an officer was disciplined under the efficiency and safety rule. No other officer was suspended under the rule after a shooting, he said. But, Whitman said, he did not allow public sentiment to influence his findings. The facts of the case showed that although everything happened quickly, Turney had a chance to "slow" the situation before it reached a point where he had to use force, Whitman said. "I think there was an opportunity to take a step back," Whitman said. Hickenlooper struggled to recall the details of meetings with Childs family representatives - including celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochran - dating back more than eight months. The mayor said he also met with members of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, who were demanding Turney either be fired or at least never see the streets again. But Hickenlooper said he did not forward recommendations to LaCabe, instead trying to give him "space to make his decisions." Staff writer Sean Kelly can be reached at 303-820-1858 or skelly@denverpost.com . |