Cop accused of pushing Wal-Mart greeter suspended
16 hours ago January 29, 2009
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A Chattanooga detective accused of assaulting an elderly Wal-Mart greeter who asked to see his sales receipt at the store has been suspended from duty.
Police Chief Freeman Cooper told the Chattanooga Times Free Press that following a disciplinary hearing the officer was suspended 28 days without pay for conduct unbecoming an officer, improper procedure and excessive use of force.
The chief said the officer must also be retrained in the department's use of force policy and take an anger management course.
The detective was accused of pushing the 71-year-old Wal-Mart greeter who touched the off-duty officer's arm while asking if he could see a receipt in December. A report shows the greeter fell and received a scratch on his right elbow.
Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com
MY COMMENTS:
Shame shame! Sounds like the officer has power and control issues – maybe a little anger too. Seems he forgot that he is not the only one who has some authority associated with his job. But when you are taught that you must always be in control, it is hard to yield that control to others. I wonder what kind of anger management course the officer will be required to take, and whether or not it includes a better decision making model so that this officer will think before acting, and make better choices so he creates more positive outcomes – or will it just teach him to take a deep breath and walk away?
The Anger Solutions way would have this officer thinking about what happened and what that meant to him. It would then have him evaluate what he wanted the outcome of this event to be, and have him choose (via the AS decision making model) what response would best lead to the outcome he desired. More than this - it would have him evaluate the potential outcomes of each possible option for creating his desired outcome.
Want to know more about how Anger Solutions works? Visit our website: http://www.angersolution.com for details. With a 100% success rate in coaching and a consistent success rate of 80% or higher over 12 years, we must be doing something right!
