subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Mon, Jul 06 2009 

Published: July 08, 2008 08:57 am    print this story   comment on this story  

Former cop sues Berea

Bill Robinson
Register News Writer

BEREA Former Berea Police Lt. Billy Beavers, who was acquitted of misconduct charges in January, filed suit against the city July 3.

Beavers, who has since taken a job with the Lancaster Police Department, is seeking re-instatement to his former job and recovery of lost pay and benefits.

He also is seeking unspecified damages for defamation, impairment of future earnings capacity and breach of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act.

Beavers, a former Police Officer of the Year in Berea who had served 12 years on the force, was suspended and then fired in early August 2007 after internal investigations by the Berea and Richmond police departments.

The next month, a Madison County grand jury indicted Beavers on first-degree official misconduct and fourth-degree assault charges, both misdemeanors. He allegedly kicked 40-year-old James Hunt of Lexington at the end of a police pursuit and then failed to file a use-of-force report.

Hunt was the passenger in a car driven by James Barker, 26, of Olive Hill, that had been pursued in the early morning hours of July 4, 2007, by Richmond police from just past the Blue Grass Army Depot to Jackson Street in Berea.

In January, a Madison District Court jury convicted Beavers of second-degree official misconduct and fined him $1. The assault charged had been dismissed before the trial.

Special Judge Michael Harrod sentenced Beavers immediately after the trial, giving him one year to pay the fine.

In March, however, Harrod overturned the conviction, writing that he should have granted motions for a directed verdict of acquittal that Beavers’ attorney requested after the prosecution rested its case and again at the conclusion of the trail.

Beavers’ civil suit, filed by former Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo, names Berea Mayor Steven Connelly and Police Chief Dwayne Brumley as defendants with the city, both individually and jointly.

Connelly was unavailable Monday afternoon, and Brumley said he could not comment. City Attorney J.T. Gilbert had no comment, except to say that the city would file a response in the allotted 20 days.

The suit claims that Beavers used “reasonable and necessary force” to arrest Hunt, who “resisted” police officers’ orders.

The suit also claims that Beavers’ superiors failed to:

• Advise him of his rights;

• Obtain a required signed statement from him;

• Maintain his privacy during the internal investigation;

• Provide written notice of charges; and/or

• Give him a hearing before terminating his employment.

The defendants “unlawfully, intentionally and maliciously failed to protect” Beavers’ rights to due process under state and federal law, including the Kentucky Police Officers’ Bill of Rights, the suit claims.

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 267.

print this story   comment on this story  

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.



Zillow
monster
autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide
Premium Jobs

FUN SUMMER WORK
FUN
SUMMER WORK
Applicants must enjoy loud Music and be willing to work with others!
No Experience nece
...>MORE

NOW HIRING
Liquor World, 239 EKU Bypass, is Accepting
application for stockers,
cashiers,. M-F 10-6pm
...>MORE

Part-time Nanny.
Part-time Nanny.
2 full days/week. Childcare experience necessary. Call 859-623-3875.
...>MORE

Immediate openings available for light
Immediate openings available for light service technicians & wrecker drivers. Must be experienced & available any hours....>MORE

Now interviewing for
Now interviewing for
DENTAL ASSISTANT. Will train for chairside position, 32-35 hrs./wk, vacation, holidays, reti
...>MORE

Now Hiring Heavy Equipment Operator
Now Hiring Heavy Equipment Operator with
Class A-CDL
859-661-5699, 625-5990
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Autos

1997 GMC Safari Van, one owner.
1997 GMC Safari Van, one owner. 148K miles. New Tires, Completely serviced, white, clean, new Battery. $2,800.
Ca
...>MORE

1993 Toyota Conquest
1993 Toyota Conquest RV (21ft). In good condition. Small bathroom & kitchen, sleeps 5, has shade awning. Great for weeke...>MORE

2002 Mustang
2002 Mustang
(convertible). V6, auto., pwr/ac/cruise. Good condition. 95,930 miles. $7,700.
Call 859-986-1798
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Rentals

3 bdrm, all elec, fenced.
3 bdrm, all elec, fenced.
121 Lee Drive.$575.
Appliances furnished.
859-255-9171.
...>MORE

Berea, 2 bdrm, 1.5 ba
Berea, 2 bdrm, 1.5 ba, $585./mo. All utilities paid. No pets. Dep/Lease req'd 624-5934, 661-5254....>MORE

2 bdrm, Townhouses, McDougle
Nice, clean, newly painted 2 br, 1.5 ba, tnhouses, w/d hkp, d/w $450mo. +Ut. McDougle 623-8362....>MORE

See all ads

Deal of the Day

Everything from A-Z!!!
Need to sell your bedroom suite, washer and dryer, or even selling an animal? Call Mayme or Melissa at 859-624-6681 to p...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index