Saturday, April 19, 2003
Fullerton suspends four police officers
They humiliated woman thought to be unconscious, memo says.
By JOHN McDONALD The Orange County Register
Four Fullerton police officers have received suspensions in a case in which two of them were reputed to have humiliated a woman they had been called to help and who they thought was unconscious, Chief Pat McKinley said Friday.
The disclosure came after parts of a confidential memo sent by McKinley to the City Council were made public.
The chief said two officers, who were the primary offenders, received 60-hour suspensions worth about $1,900 in pay, and two who failed to stop the misconduct received 12 hour suspensions, worth about $400.
The incident occurred about 5:30 a.m. Feb. 1 when the four officers were called to the home of a woman who was suspected of having attempted suicide. The officers had been to the location before and found the woman in her bed, apparently unconscious.
One officer squatted near her face and passed wind and said, "This ought to wake her up," according to a portion of the memo made public.
A second officer climbed on the bed and pretended to lick her, without touching her but acting like a cat licking milk, the memo also said.
The woman apparently was conscious at the time.
Paramedics went to the scene and found that the woman had no need for medical attention, and she declined to be taken to a hospital for examination, McKinley said.
The woman and the officers have not been identified.
Fullerton suspends four police officers
They humiliated woman thought to be unconscious, memo says.
By JOHN McDONALD The Orange County Register
Four Fullerton police officers have received suspensions in a case in which two of them were reputed to have humiliated a woman they had been called to help and who they thought was unconscious, Chief Pat McKinley said Friday.
The disclosure came after parts of a confidential memo sent by McKinley to the City Council were made public.
The chief said two officers, who were the primary offenders, received 60-hour suspensions worth about $1,900 in pay, and two who failed to stop the misconduct received 12 hour suspensions, worth about $400.
The incident occurred about 5:30 a.m. Feb. 1 when the four officers were called to the home of a woman who was suspected of having attempted suicide. The officers had been to the location before and found the woman in her bed, apparently unconscious.
One officer squatted near her face and passed wind and said, "This ought to wake her up," according to a portion of the memo made public.
A second officer climbed on the bed and pretended to lick her, without touching her but acting like a cat licking milk, the memo also said.
The woman apparently was conscious at the time.
Paramedics went to the scene and found that the woman had no need for medical attention, and she declined to be taken to a hospital for examination, McKinley said.
The woman and the officers have not been identified.
