Turney wants to return to patrolling streets despite decision by safety manager By Brian D. Crecente, Rocky Mountain News Denver police officer James Turney's appeal to return to street patrol after the fatal shooting of Paul Childs will be decided in a hearing beginning today. Hearing officer John Criswell will preside over the hearing, scheduled to run nine days at Denver's civil service commission.
Once the hearing is complete, and both parties have finished filing briefs, Criswell, who retired from the Colorado Court of Appeals in 1999 after serving 13 years, will have 30 days to issue a written decision. That decision can then be appealed to the district court by either side. In April, Manager of Safety Al LaCabe suspended Turney for 10 months without pay for shooting and killing developmentally disabled teen Paul Childs on July 5, 2003. The teen was approaching the officer with a knife. The chief has also said that when Turney returns to the force he will have a desk job. In his appeal of the decision, Turney's lawyer says that the decision was unlawful, arbitrary and ignored the evidence at hand.
crecenteb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2811 Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved. |