Bossier City Police Officer Phillip Vernon has filed a lawsuit against The City of Bossier City and former Chief Mike Halphen for damages, wrongful termination & retaliatory discharge.
The City terminated Vernon last December saying that he had filed a false incident report. The Bossier City Fire & Police Civil Service Board resinstated Vernon and changed the termination to a 90 day suspension.
At first the board said the firing was 'without just cause' and then reversed that to say it was 'with just cause'. The City sued in District Court to overrule the board and to terminate Vernon; a few days later Vernon filed to overturn the 90 day suspension. The two suits were combined. Just this week Judge Parker Self took all the pleadings under advisement and will issue an opinion within 30 days.
This weekend I will post a detailed account of the goings on to this point. It will be quite lengthy.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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This whole situation was because of the person arrested. If it had been any other citizen arrested nothing would have happened.
ReplyDeleteI hope vernon wins.
ReplyDeleteI hope Ofcr Vernon wins too!!!
ReplyDeleteIt aggravates me to no end that an innocent man is being persecuted because the prosecutor was NOT so innocent.
Even though Sentell's wife said later on that it was a "private disagreement between a married couple" it was IN PUBLIC and ON CAMERA! He was physically assaulting her! This man was drunk and belligerent in the backseat of the car - this was seen on television... I can only imagine what was not privy to the public.
My best wishes to Ofcr. Vernon in his quest to conquer the most corrupt police department in the south!
Anon at 11:20: ...the most corrupt police department in the south!
ReplyDelete??? C'mon now...you can't really mean that.
The fact is not that who was arrested. Vernon is not the person who arrested Sentell for Domestic Abuse, it was Wells. Vernon was just a transport officer. All Vernon had to do was transport Sentell to the jail and book him in. Instead Vernon decided to charge Sentell with "Public Intimidation", which did not fit what Sentell said in the car.
ReplyDeleteVernon stated first in his report that Sentell threatened is job in the car. Then changed it to outside the car with just himself and Sentell, while the reserve officer stated that it happened in the car.
I think Vernon was trying to make a name for himself, trying to impress folks. I have worked with Vernon for sometime now, I have to say that he is not the most honest person out there, I don't care what kind of preacher he says he is. Sorry but if you believe that it is some sort of conspiracy you are just misinformed.
If the conspiracy exists then you have to believe that Vernon is being targeted because of his arrest of Sentell. I thought that Ofc. Wells arrested Sentell for the incident at the Horseshoe, not Vernon.
ReplyDeleteI hope the judge makes a good sound decision.
Anon 11:20 "Corrupt in the south." Even I cant go that far. I can tell you for a fact that rank and file members of the BCPD are not corrupt. Are there a few bad apples, why yes, there those in every place in life. The admin of the dept was once corrupt and I could agree with that statement but to say or suggest the most corrupt in the south. No way!
ReplyDeleteOFC. Wells did his job according to law, cut and dry.( As a side note OFC. Wells might be the most honest man In BCPD but there are many.)
OFC. Vernon screwed up. He should take his medicine. He placed all of his brothers in a bad spot
anon at 10:28, Well Said!
ReplyDeleteI agree. When you tell a little fib, and have to keep telling it over and over, the situation gets bigger and bigger. I think that this has blown up in Vernon's face. I think that at the time he did not really understand the crime of public intimidation. I think that Vernon's ego and pride have gotten in the way of the truth.
As for Ofc. Wells there is not a corrupt bone in his body, he is a good officer and good man.
Officer Wells is one of the finest police officers in any department. As for BCPD being corrupt, I know all these police officers personally. I have never met a corrupt police officer in the department. Whatever happened in the past with the old chief, I dont know but the current chief as well as his administration are fantastic. It is frustrating for me to here that someone thinks BCPD is corrupt. Could be that this person has a beef with the department for a reason. I have never met a person that has been in trouble who likes any police department. Just remember that these men and women are out there everyday, and night. On Holidays, weekends, and in terrible weather. We are fortunate to live in a city that has such a wonderful police department, and if you dont believe me just pick up a copy of newsweek magazine. Bossier city is ranked number 16 in the entire nation as the best place to raise a family. Why do you think that is?
ReplyDeleteHow could Bossier risk putting Vernon on the street? In the case of an incident such as a shooting the lawyers would have a field day and bring up the history of statements not matching the filed report. That would put the department and the city in a bad situation. The issue is not the DA, but Vernon's mistake.
ReplyDeleteWe have all seen the drunken belligerent obscene profane ranting of ADA Sentell on the videotape. With all of that going on it does not surprise me that Officer Vernon could be confused as to whether the threat to get him fired was made inside the car or just outside the car. There were certainly enough intimidation taking place on the videotape even if the word "job" was not said. I don't think that the drunken obscene profane Sentell is qualified to represent the decent citizens of Webster Parish in the prosecution of criminals. Or anything else for that matter. I have changed banks to avoid his influence, and the only way that I will ever go to Minden Medical Center is if an ambulance takes me there. The reason our society is in this condition is that we tolerate the drunks, dopeheads, obscene and profane behavior. And indeed reward such behavior in the case of Sentell. The fact that Officer Vernon was fired is ample evidence that not only was the threat made, but it was carried out. It is the 26th Judicial District Attorney's office that I call corrupt, not the police department. Obviously Marvin had something to hold over Halphen to get him to fire Marvin. If memory serves there was a BCPD officer who killed a crazy suspect, and that was tied into the situation.
ReplyDeleteVernon lied, falsified a report and is now trying to cover it up.
ReplyDeleteLook at all the evidence, my money says the judge rules to fire Vernon.
This is not the first time Vernon has been in a jam over his ego.
anon at 154 am. Spend less time around the Jack Daniels bottle and more time to proofread your comments. Halphen did not fire Marvin, nor could he. This one is easy. Vernon lied. He got caught (not the first time). He got fired. End of story.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Anonymous@1:54 made a mistake, and the Anonymous@6:02 is using that to try to divert attention from the point that the videotape shows a drunken Sentell making threats even if Vernon's job is not mentioned while he was being recorded. And the fact that Vernon was fired does seem to indicate that not only was the threat made, but it was also fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteFrom the blog: "This weekend I will post a detailed account of the goings on to this point. It will be quite lengthy".
ReplyDelete---------------------------------
I'm looking forward to this. Any idea when you'll post it?
Just did commenter.
ReplyDeletethere is a very loud and clear message being snet not to call into questions the actions of the powers that be.
ReplyDeletethis does not lead to a long term good result, but it is the parish we live in.
Power will become more and more concentrated that those that benefit form that will be shields and swords to that power.
Very different from a Christian Democracy.
I think it just proves that you should not lie / or make mistakes on a police report when cameras and mics will catch you.
ReplyDelete