The next day, the officer conducted "excessive traffic enforcement" in front of the school, pulling over more vehicles than normal, the investigation found. Kline was subsequently terminated from his position as a deputy. At its quarterly meeting, the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council voted for various punishment ranging from a letter of warning to revocation of officers' badges. Several Utah Police Officers Disciplined For An Array Of Misconduct When the state threatens you with criminal charges, your due process rights are often the only bulwark between you and a prison cell. In 17 cases that we followed, the departments have decided not to discipline the officers or could not identify them. POST Council said he had threatened a woman in a family dispute. Brittney Bryan, a former corrections employee, was involved in a fatal DUI crash while off-duty. Jeremy Dunn. I humbly ask POST Council to allow me to serve and protect in Utah as law enforcement again.". Among the police officers disciplined by POST for misconduct are: Copyright 2017, KSTU. A new hunter in another party fired errant shots that went in the direction of Bess and his party. Ultimately, the POST Council rejected a recommendation to revoke his badge and gave him a 4-year suspension. Directly shot at. Zilles was found to be driving under the influence of Ambien and Benadryl. Several people were disciplined for lying or falsifying official documents, either in applying to become a police officer or in their official police reports, POST found. Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigative Protocol What's on City-Data.com. Stephenson said the language of any proposed bill is still being drafted and would include input from law enforcement agencies. At its quarterly meeting, the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council voted for. To determine if disciplinary action has been taken against a licensee, please see our new Agency & Disciplinary Actions Search which contains scanned files from 2005 to present. He threw it in the garbage can, and told regulators Thursday that he gave the inmate the toothbrush to learn how they were manufacturing weapons in prison. (Nate Carlisle | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jeremy Dunn, left, a former police officer in Enoch, addresses a meeting of the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council on Sept. 25, 2019. Castro refused and faced disciplinary action by the city. Ask yourself, Does that sound like criminal behavior? Director Scott Stephenson told the Peace Officer Standard and. The council was moments away from voting on a motion to revoke Dunns certification, when a substitute motion was brought up to suspend his certification for four years. POST investigators said he pulled someone over in a traffic stop even though he wasn't a working officer; Kevin Erskine, a former West Bountiful officer, who was given a letter of caution after POST said he admitted to sex while on his lunch break; Mayra Cardenas, a former Ogden police employee whom POST claims admitted to falsifying information on an academy application, was given a 2-year suspension; Christopher Hauser, a police cadet who was given a 2-year suspension for falsifying information on an academy application; Robert Carter, a former Utah Dept. Officers have. Thats because it wasnt a crime, she told the council. SANDY Nine police officers in Utah faced discipline for allegations of misconduct Wednesday. For the past three years, Utah police averaged about 100,000 arrests a year and during that time shot at . Utah Valley University: Jake Hardee, one-year suspension for false information on an employment application. UPDATE SEPTEMBER 6, 2021: Former University of Utah Police Chief Rodney Chatman is suing his former employer for $2.5 million for alleged mistreatment and discrimination. The council meets quarterly to, in part, review allegations of misconduct by officers and hand down discipline. All rights reserved. On Sept. 30, members of Peace Officer Standards and Training voted to suspend former Mantua Police Chief Michael F. Castro's law enforcement certification for three months. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax A former Utah Highway Patrol trooper had his certification suspended for a year for mishandling of evidence. One peace officer had his certification revoked after taking city owned equipment and allegedly selling it as scrap metal. State officials push plan to keep Utah coal-fired power plant burning, Answers vary about whether Washington County will have enough water to accommodate growth, Utahns, Ukrainians rally at state Capitol to mark first anniversary of Russian invasion, most-litigated police misconduct cases in state history. Utah cops are not infallible, and if they have investigated you for a crime, you need to expose any misconduct that could prove critical to your defense. Once an officer's certification is revoked in Utah, that person cannot apply to become an officer again. Department Policies. Smith appeared before the POST Council and apologized. SANDY A heated argument between the former police chief of Mantua and the town's former mayor has led the agency that hands out discipline to Utah law enforcers to take minor action. Joseph Haws, who worked for the Utah County Sheriffs Office, was suspended for nine months after he said he had booked items into evidence when he didnt. Roberto Benvenutto, a former employee with the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office who was criminally convicted of stealing an iPad from a resident at a nursing home where he worked a part-time job. He also did not know what kind of sanctions would be sought if police chiefs or sheriffs break the law. Charles Hoffman, who had been employed with the Box Elder County Sheriffs Office, had his certification revoked for lying about speaking to officers from another police agency about a case that had been moved from his department to theirs to avoid a conflict of interest. Most of the officers who appeared at the meeting avoided having their badges or certifications revoked, and were instead temporarily suspended from their positions. SANDY, Utah -- The agency that certifies and disciplines police officers in Utah handed down punishments to 25 officers facing accusations of misconduct. Dunn already has filed one challenge of what was then-pending discipline with POST, but an administrative law judge found clear and convincing evidence the shooting met the states definition of an aggravated assault. He also kept a wallet at his house that he took from a woman, and then tried to burn it when he was afraid he would get in trouble again for mishandling of evidence, according to POST. Copyright 2010 - 2023 StGeorgeUtah.com LLC, all rights reserved, Utah officials move inmates after allegations of misconduct by jail employees, 28 police officers disciplined, several from Southern Utah agencies, Polygamous towns oppose bid to disband police department, Year in review: Southern Utahs most read and notable stories of 2021, Family struggles after mother dies 23 days after father in Christmas Eve crash just south of St. George, Groups scour 2022 Utah budget for funds to fight hunger, Utah Peace Officers Standards and Training Council. POST is a division of the Department of Public Safety whose role is to impose sanctions on officers who violate Utah's Peace Officers Standards and Training Act. Utah's police certifying agency disciplined police officers and talked about the coronavirus at its meeting Thursday. "It was never with the intent to lie. Bryan Lentz, a former corrections officer, had his certification revoked for not disclosing a sexual misconduct incident on a peace officer application. State officials push plan to keep Utah coal-fired power plant burning, Answers vary about whether Washington County will have enough water to accommodate growth, Utahns, Ukrainians rally at state Capitol to mark first anniversary of Russian invasion. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A University of Utah police officer accused in a recent lawsuit of mishandling reports in the Lauren McCluskey murder last fall of mishandling reports in the Lauren McCluskey murder last fall, received a written warning for similar mistakes in a domestic violence case several months later. According to the POST investigation, during the meeting with the mayor, Castro told him that firing him would be a "huge mistake" and that it would come back to "bite the mayor in the ass." Dunn on Wednesday admitted he deviated from police training. But Dunn and his attorney, Ashley Gregson, argued to the council that he was trying to end a confrontation without someone losing their life. Bess appealed the conviction to the Utah Supreme Court, arguing he had a presumption of innocence because he was a peace officer responding to a danger. And for those who are just beginning the certification process, Stephenson said they have shifted all of the coursework online but social distancing means only so many can take the physical tests at the same time. Basic Training & Prospective Officers In-Service & Training Programs Law Enforcement Employment Opportunities About POST Investigations & POST Complaint Process Satellite Academies Publications and Documents POST Council POST User Fee Schedule Contact POST Click here to view the required course information and how to report the training. "That was the biggest mistake of my life," said Bart Higbee, a police cadet who was given a one year suspension for patronizing a prostitute. The mayor was allegedly intimidated and "alarmed" by Castro's behavior, the POST investigation found. You would think common sense would rule the day, but unfortunately, thats not the case, Park City Police Chief Wade Carpenter, who chairs the POST Council, told FOX 13 on Tuesday. When Can Cellphone Evidence Be Used In A Criminal Prosecution? Bess was duck hunting in Box Elder County when three shotgun blasts were suddenly fired in the direction of Bess and his group. However, the attorneys office declined to file criminal charges. With more than 9,000 certified police officers in the state, POST insists the number of those disciplined is still less than one percent. A heated argument between the former police chief of Mantua and the town's former mayor has led the agency that hands out discipline to Utah law enforcers to take minor action. Robert Calkins, a former Salt Lake County Sheriff's deputy, received a 3-year suspension from POST Council over allegations of assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct related to an altercation with a roommate and a former girlfriend. Utah Department of Corrections officer Brock Findlay also got a letter of caution for purchasing the wrong type of fishing license while vacationing in Idaho. Terry Thomas had already resigned as a police officer when he was charged with voyeurism. Bess was a Unified Police Department officer when, in October 2015, he was duck hunting in Box Elder County. Cottonwood Heights police officers were not internally disciplined for their use of force in a violent altercation in August of last year with protesters inside a residential neighborhood.. One of the most important functions of the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council is to consider disciplinary cases against Utah police officers. The agency that certifies and disciplines police officers in Utah handed down punishment to 25 officers facing accusations of misconduct. The officer's younger brother had allegedly been bullied at the school. A former officer who served on the West Valley City Police Department, Darin S. Hoover, was suspended for three months in connection with disorderly conduct. Should Utah police officers be allowed to use medical marijuana? Bess told the council he was afraid for his life and his family's. Steven Kline, a former deputy with the Beaver County Sheriffs Office, whose certification was revoked after POST members alleged that Kline pawned ammunition that was property of the Beaver County Sheriffs Office. Gray is the military's longest-serving death row inmate. Posted 12:00:00 AM. Unified Police Department: Nicholas Riggs, certification revoked for fraud, driving under the influence and hit and run. Other peace officers disciplined Wednesday: Juab County Sheriffs Office: Tyrel Curtis, three-year suspension for false information on an employment application. Among the police officers disciplined by POST for misconduct are: Christopher Smith, a former [] 34 years, 243 days. Lance Bess, a former Unified Police Officer, who was given a 3-year suspension for an incident where he was shot at by hunters in Box Elder County in 2017. Reading time: 5 minutes. Not once, but three times, he told the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. She told the council she was defending herself. Bess, while holding his service weapon in one hand and a shotgun over his shoulder, confronted the group that had fired on them and learned that an inexperienced hunter had fired the errant shots. Assault, intoxicated driving, acts of domestic violence, and other topics that arose at the POST meeting all share one trait in common: they can all lead to criminal prosecution and, potentially, severe penalties no matter what sort of job you have. He transferred to civilian positions with UPD and then the new Herriman Police Department while his legal case proceeded. Former Syracuse Police Officer Sean Fox was suspended for 2.5 years after reporting to his employer that he had never been disciplined in past jobs, when he had received verbal and written warnings in the past. Butler was suspended from the force for one year after being convicted of DUI (driving under the influence), which can have severe penalties for anyone who is found guilty. The incident marked the second time in five years that Dunn shot a suspect in the knee to end a confrontation. To set up a free and completely confidential legal consultation with a Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer who has worked on thousands of cases, call the law offices of Overson Law as soon as possible at (801) 758-2287. Utah Code 53-6-211(1) gives the POST council the right to suspend or revoke the certification of a peace officer if he or she commits certain acts, or engages in certain practices. That discipline can range from a letter of condemnation to revoking an officer's certification. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. He was investigated for the same offense a few years earlier. The Peace Officer Standards and Training Council is comprised of police chiefs, sheriffs and citizens from across the state. The council suspended Dunn's police certification for four years for shooting a woman in the knee. The council meets quarterly to, in part, review allegations of misconduct by officers and hand down discipline. Woods Cross police Chief Chad Soffe, a member of the POST Council, asked if Dunn had other less-lethal options. "I think there's going to be some concerns on guidelines," said Kane County Sheriff Lamont Smith. But are Utah police officers always professional in their evidence gathering efforts? Castro was one of 19 officers that the POST council took action against during their latest meeting. "That's the million dollar question," he said. It is with deep regret and disappointment that I stand before you this day, Bess told the council. Maj. Scott Stephenson, the director of POST, also presented a proposal to the council for officers to be certified in community outreach. The . Some officers escaped with a "letter of caution," which is a warning on their record. For example, under Utah Code 53-6-211(1)(c), an officer can be suspended from the force, regardless of which town or citys police department they work for, if they are addicted to drugs or alcohol. POST is a division of the Department of Public Safety whose role is to impose sanctions on officers who violate Utahs Peace Officers Standards and Training Act. In some of the cases, the Council decided to revoke officers certifications to be a police officer. He pleaded guilty to impaired driving. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Two more Memphis police officers have been disciplined and three emergency responders fired in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, officials said Monday, widening the circle of punishment for the shocking display of police brutality after video showed many more people failed to help him beyond the five officers So Dunn drew his pistol and fired three shots at her legs, striking her twice in the right knee. SANDY Nine police officers in Utah faced discipline for allegations of misconduct Wednesday. Johnson resigned as mayor a short time later, new training guidelines for use of force and police K-9 certification, Mantua police chief dismissed, other officers resign, Mantua mayor resigns as new police chief sworn in following former chief's dismissal. The case that received the most debate was that of Enoch Police Cpl. Copyright 2013-2015 Frees Law, P.L.L.C. "I made a mistake," he said Thursday. The officer then lied about his actions in a police report, according to POST. 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