Police officer keeps job despite spitting on teenager

[tanker]

The former police chief called inhumane and recommended that the officer should be fired, but he was over ruled.

[h=1]Former police chief calls officer's spitting 'inhumane'[/h]ASHEVILLE — The city's former police chief says he wanted to fire an officer accused of spitting on a teenager but worried the Civil Service Board would not support him.

The board on Friday ruled his decision to place the officer on a lengthy suspension was justified.
William Anderson said his decision to keep officer Jonathan Collins on the job was also meant to give him a second chance.
Anderson suspended him without pay for 320 hours despite a recommendation from police commanders of 30 hours — the longest in departmental history at the time.
"Disrespectful. Inhumane," Anderson said. "It's not something anybody should do but especially a law enforcement officer. I wasn't going to tolerate it under my watch."
Collins said he did not spit on 17-year-old Rico Jackson. He said he regrets spitting on the street as he passed him.
"It was silly," he said. "It was immature."

[h=1][/h]

 

[Shimus]

He should have been called into question. He was spitting on those he swore to protect. This may deserve more than a second look, but the Kid may have to be talked to since he's a minor and not of age in most countries. So they'll protect him and not the cop. He could have been provoked into it, but he shouldn't have did it.

 

[missbishi]

Collins said he did not spit on 17-year-old Rico Jackson. He said he regrets spitting on the street as he passed him.
"It was silly," he said. "It was immature."

Now I know spitting is a disgusting thing to do but I can't help but laugh at this quote...yeah right, of course you were spitting on the street! I'm not surprised that William Anderson wanted to fire this cop, you really don't want to see law enforcement officers spitting, be it on the street or on someone else. The public have a pretty bad image of the police as it is and behavior like this does nothing to improve the state of affairs.

 

[Rosyrain]

Well the officer should not have spit, no matter if he meant to hit the kid with it or not, spitting is gross. It is spreading bodilly fluid around and I would think much less if I saw an officer do it in front of me. Of course he was spitting at the kid even if he does not want to admit to it.

 

[Kittyworker]

Suspension sure. Demotion Fine. I think firing the guy though would be a bit excessive. Considering the amount of scum that cops see I can only imagine that I would wan't to spit on some of them myself.

 

[mrsbright]

Ha. Some cops back home give you tickets if you spit on the street -- they tried to give on to my cousin who spit in heavy rain and my cousin got snarky, "If you can point at where the spit is I'll pay you all the fines you want." Of course, cops back home (my home) are way more friendly than cops in America, so the guy actually let it go.

But yeah. Spitting on the ground = fine-worthy.

So spitting "in the direction of someone" is more than just immature. I actually googled that because from the name, I'd expect the guy was a Latino-American, but nope, it's a young black teenager. Apparently, the guy made a obscene gesture and the cop wanted to reciprocate to show that he had seen it.

A panel of police commanders recommended only a 30 hour suspension for Collins, but ex Police Chief Anderson, who is black, overruled them and handed down a 320 hour suspension.

Officer Collins filed a grievance asking the Civil Service Board to overrule Anderson’s punishment and rule that the 30 hour suspension was appropriate.

I'm pretty sure there is some underlying racial issues in there.

 

[Patrick]

At any rate even if he was aggravated I don't think that the police officer should have spat at anyone. He probably won't see himself climbing up the ranks of the force anytime soon.