Tough shit. Get better control of your public servants or open up that check book!
Without knowing any other facts in the case firing an 18 year employee is not enough for you. The whole department, county government and every tax payer in it must be punished with million dollar fines for the actions of one man.
No injuries, no medical bills, no conspiracy to cover up or institutional failure. Call up the lawyers and the insurance company, someone got scared so a million dollar deal is in the works! We, the collective, must share equal responsibility for one rogue cop!
This is conservative thought? Sounds a lot like the “zero tolerance” policies at our schools. Kid straightens out a paper clip = automatic suspension. Cop makes a bone head move (even though he never fired a shot) and the county needs to pull out the check book.