And Even More Disrespect from Denver Police, Cop who Killed 15 Year Old Black Boy gets Job Back
Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 09:30PM
TheSpook
He
returned to work Monday, 11 months after receiving one of the stiffest
penalties for a fatal police shooting in Denver in connection with the
killing of a developmentally disabled teen. Officer James Turney is
back on the job and sitting behind a desk. Turney is now working in the
police department's technology and support division, police spokesman
Sonny Jackson said Tuesday. Turney's 10-month suspension was lifted in
January by a civil service commission hearing officer. Although Turney
has said he wants to return to patrol, the final decision was up to
Police Chief Gerry Whitman, who said last year he would be assigning
Turney to an administrative post upon his return. Last April, Manager
of Safety Al LaCabe suspended Turney for 10 months without pay. The
suspension came almost a year after Turney shot and killed 15-year-old
Paul Childs, who wielded a knife. "He shouldn't have a job, period,"
said Helen Childs, who was reached at her home Tuesday evening. "He
should be in jail where he belongs." At the very least, she says,
Turney should have been fired for killing her son in July 2003. She
said she takes some comfort knowing he's assigned to a desk job. "I'm
glad he's not on the streets because he would do it again," Childs
said. In January, Civil Service Commission hearing officer John
Criswell overturned Turney's 10-month penalty, saying Turney should not
have been disciplined for the shooting The city has filed an appeal of
the ruling with the Civil Service Commission.[more]
Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).
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