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Carbondale
City Council
Officer cleared of wrongdoing
From staff reports
CARBONDALE—Carbondale Police Officer Greg Wallace has been
cleared of wrongdoing after a Missouri police department’s
investigation of a disturbance at Carbondale’s Sept. 13 street
dance.
The Carbondale City Council requested the investigation of Wallace
after a parent alleged improper treatment of her minor child following
an incident at the dance. Carbondale City Attorney Sue DeVoe confirmed
Wallace was the subject of more than one written complaint received
by the city regarding the incident.
At the Sept. 15 meeting of the city council, a mother claimed that
her daughter was forced to the ground by Wallace and handcuffed
because of pushing and shoving going on within a group of people.
Another mother said her daughter was assaulted by someone in the
group and had to flee from the disturbance. During that meeting,
the council approved requesting an outside law enforcement agency
to conduct an independent investigation. After the Kansas Bureau
of Investigation declined to investigate the incident, the Holt,
Mo., police department was requested to investigate.
At the Oct. 20 council meeting, council president Mike Fulton announced
the investigation was incomplete and further investigation would
be needed.
Oct. 29, the council held a special meeting to consider an investigation
report submitted by Holt Police Chief Michael Noland. Following
a 17-minute executive session, Fulton read from Noland’s investigation
report, “It is my findings through this supplemental investigation
as it was in the preliminary investigation that Officer Wallace
conducted himself in a safe and professional manner given the situation
which was at hand the night of the incident.”
Fulton said the report was “basically clearing [Wallace] of
any wrongful actions.”
“We’re very sorry this had to happen,” Carbondale
Mayor Ruth Towne said. “It’s been hard on Officer Wallace,
his family and the town.”
Fulton had previously said the council wished to “get this
thing over with as soon as possible,” and at last week’s
special meeting declared the issue resolved, but at least one citizen
questioned the validity of the investigation. Monday, at the regular
council meeting, Scott Hite expressed concern about why he was not
interviewed about the incident. He said there were many witnesses
who had not been interviewed.
Hite said he believed the investigation was handled improperly and
also questioned why the council held a special meeting to review
the findings instead of waiting until the regular council meeting.
Councilman Daryl Makowski echoed Fulton’s earlier comment
and said that a special meeting was called to resolve the incident
as soon as possible.
Another citizen, Marvin Stevens, said, “It looked deceiving
to hold a special meeting on a Wednesday night when it could have
been done at the regular council meeting.”
Answering Hite’s complaint about the investigation, Carbondale
Police Chief Adam Marion said he had secured statements from Debbie
Traphagen and her daughter, who was involved in the incident, and
Wallace. That information was faxed to the investigator in Holt,
Mo, he said.
Traphagen questioned several times during Monday’s meeting,
“Who are you going to believe, a 12-year-old girl or a police
officer?”
Marion said Wallace had acted properly when he saw the fight going
on between three girls. Wallace was trying to prevent someone from
getting hurt, Marion said, and he had to get the incident under
control quickly.
Someone asked why the other two girls were not handcuffed. The reason
given was that Wallace was the only officer at the scene at that
time.
Following the discussion Monday, the council agreed the issue had
been resolved.
Marion said Tuesday he was relieved that allegations against Wallace
had been settled, but said the issue had been overblown by townspeople.
“It was handled just the way it should have been,” Marion
said of the incident and Wallace’s actions.
Regarding the resulting reaction to the incident, Marion said, “It
was a silly situation that should have never turned into what it
did.”
Marion said charges are pending against three juveniles involved
in the incident.
DeVoe announced at last week’s special meeting no disciplinary
action had been taken against Wallace. She declined this week to
release any of the investigation report, citing it as a personnel
matter.
In other Monday business, the council:
•
considered changes to the Hinck commercial site sewer project to
accommodate the State Bank of Carbondale’s request to be connected
to the sewer line. Ben Kramer of Kramer Engineering explained two
plans that could serve the bank, one which would have included service
to a vacant block for future development. Another option was to
set the main sewer line deeper to serve the vacant lot if needed
in the future at an additional cost of $3,000. The council approved
councilman Clint Vawter’s motion for the second option. Cost
of the sewer project is estimated at $64,735.
•
approved a motion by Fulton to request approval to increase the
loan for the water project. Carbondale City Clerk Sandy Schiffelbein
was instructed to send a letter to contractors for the project,
informing them bills will be paid when the city receives additional
funds from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment loan.
•
approved a request from maintenance supervisor Kevin Richardson
to send newly hired maintenance employee Jared Kleier to a one-day
training in Ottawa at no cost to the city except for wages.
• approved a request from Richardson to rent a two-man lift
basket from Sunflower Rentals for one day to install Christmas lights
on Dec. 1, at a cost of $370. |
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