Posted on 11/20/2012 1:00:56 PM PST by FreedomPoster
CANTON —
Fired police officer Daniel Harless could get his job back if he gets medical clearance to return to work.
An arbitrator hearing Harless’ appeal ruled in the former patrolman’s favor. The 15-page ruling was dated Saturday and released by the city Wednesday.
Harless’ attorney indicated his client is unlikely to seek his old job, at least for now. He has been receiving workers’ compensation and has applied for a disability retirement pension.
But Harless now has the right to be back on the job, according to arbitrator Harry Graham.
PAST VIDEOS ON HARLESS: • VIDEO: Canton officer threatens citizen. July 28, 2011 • VIDEO: Harless behaving badly again? July 28, 2011 • VIDEO: Harless under investigation again? Aug 26, 2011
“Return to active service, if ever, is to be determined by competent medical authority,” wrote Graham, an arbitrator since 1972 and a retired professor of industrial relations at Cleveland State University.
Harless found himself at the center of an Internet-spurred firestorm after a police car video captured him threatening a man he pulled over about 1:40 a.m. in an area with a reputation for drugs and prostitutes.
During that June 2011 traffic stop, Harless screamed profanities and said he wouldn’t have lost any sleep if he would have shot and killed William Bartlett of Brewster. Harless had become enraged after he discovered Bartlett had a loaded .38-caliber pistol, which he was permitted to carry.
“As soon as I felt your gun, I should have took two steps back, pulled my Glock 40 and just put 10 bullets in your ass and let you drop,” the officer screams in the video. During the flurry, Harless also said he should have gunned Bartlett down for being stupid.
The video went viral on the Internet after being posted by Ohioans for Concealed Carry.
‘CONDUCT WAS DEFENSIBLE’
In January, Safety Director Thomas Ream fired Harless for making threats during multiple traffic stops. Ream cited a pattern of verbal abuse and making physical or death threats.
The safety director said the arbitrator had more information about the incidents. Unlike the city’s disciplinary hearing, when Harless was advised by a medical professional not to participate, he testified and answered questions at the arbitration hearing.
“This is not a shocking ruling given all the things that were present for the arbitrator,” he said. “So we will abide by this ruling, and if officer Harless is able to get his medical clearance, we’ll let him back on the police department.”
Don’t you know that government employees are incapable of making terroristic threats?
"This is not about the ccw holder or advocacy for ccw."
Did you read the article - OR my post? It appears not.
The entire incident came to the forefront because - in the article:
"The video went viral on the Internet after being posted by Ohioans for Concealed Carry."
Ohioans for Concealed Carry posted the video, which includes editorial comments overlaid onto the video by OCC, to advocate for the cause of Concealed Carry.
As I posted, this was a poor choice for concealed carry advocacy. Do you realize the responsibility you are required to take on when issued a permit to carry? The number one responsibility is that you MUST NOT engage in any illegal activity. In some states, you can't even have a domestic argument with your wife in which the police show up because of a busy-body neighbor and no arrest is made, without losing your permit.
I take it the other part of my post you didn't read before posting was that I clearly stated that the cop should absolutely lose his job for, quote: "...his temperament and comportment is absolutely anti-social and I'm sure this isn't the first time he's berated suspects in such a frightening way." How does that "dilute" the police officer's actions and responsibilities?
Perhaps you should read the articles and posts before going off on a tangent...
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