Fife
officer quits amid strife
(Washington State)
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A
Fife police lieutenant has resigned after being investigated and facing
discipline for the third time in a year, this time for making an inappropriate
remark with religious overtones at an anti-harassment training session.
Lt.
Doug Burrus was the last of three veteran officers to resign from the Fife
Police Department after a string of investigations last year found misconduct
or policy violations by the men. City leaders said Feb. 27 that they were
launching a police improvement plan, including an outside review by law
enforcement, a community advisory panel and the pursuit of national
accreditation.
Burrus,
a 19-year veteran of the department, was suspended twice last year. He resigned
effective Feb. 29, according to a settlement agreement with the City of Fife
released to The News Tribune last week.
Based
“on advice from his medical practitioner,” Burrus said he was no longer able to
perform the functions of a police officer, according to the agreement signed by
Burrus and City Manager Dave Zabell.
The
city agreed to pay Burrus $5,000 in lieu of temporary disability benefits he
could have received if he had remained on the force.
The
latest investigation found Burrus made an inappropriate comment to a
subordinate officer when that officer arrived for anti-harassment training Dec.
6 at City Hall with his head freshly shaven.
“Hey
(officer’s name), did you join the Mormon Church?” Burrus asked, according to
the investigative report by Fife police commander Tim Floyd.
Burrus
had recently returned from a 10-day suspension when the incident occurred.
Burrus
said he did not recall making the comment, according to the report obtained by
The News Tribune through a public records request.
But
Floyd said four of 11 people interviewed who were present recalled Burrus
making the remark. They found the comment inappropriate but not personally
offensive, Floyd wrote.
The
report does not explain why Burrus connected a shaved head with the Mormon
Church, formally called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A
detective expressed amazement at the remark, given the issues Burrus had been
dealing with during the past year.
Burrus
was suspended for three days in April after an investigation showed he didn’t
follow through on an employee’s complaints that she’d been sexually harassed
for nearly a decade by another Fife police lieutenant, who resigned.
In
November, Burrus was suspended again – this time for 10 days – for the way he
said the word “cockfighting” in front of two female dispatchers and a male
officer, records state.
The
settlement agreement with Burrus was reached after Zabell started disciplinary
proceedings and met with Burrus Feb. 3. The agreement said the city and Burrus
would both benefit if he resigned “in exchange” for the conditions of the
settlement. Burrus was to continue on sick leave until the end of the month,
then be paid the full value of what remained in his sick leave bank, according
to the agreement.
The
internal investigation began after a detective who witnessed the remark told a
lieutenant about it.
In
the 93-page investigative report, Assistant Police Chief Mark Mears determined
Burrus violated the city’s harassment and supervisory policies and police
policies regarding unbecoming conduct, respect to others and inappropriate
conduct.
Zabell
said the investigation never reached a conclusion because Burrus resigned
before a disciplinary hearing was held. The settlement agreement continued that
hearing until Feb. 29, unless Burrus gave final approval to the terms of his
departure two days earlier.
Burrus,
who could not be reached for comment for this story, gave that approval.
Zabell
told The News Tribune Burrus served the Fife community for more than 19 years,
“and did so very well.”
“You
can’t argue the fact he made a few mistakes,” Zabell said.