[MO] Unnamed officer not charged, but suspended for "domestic disturbance"

Kearse chides officer
The Rolla Daily News
Alan Lewis Gerstenecker, Editor
October 22, 2007
A Rolla city police officer soon will return to work after serving a three-day suspension for which he was disciplined by Rolla Police Chief Mark Kearse for an incident in which officers were called to his home for a domestic disturbance. After completion of internal and independent investigations, the officer was not charged. Because he was not charged, the officer's name was not made public. The investigations just recently were completed. The disturbance occurred "about two weeks ago," Kearse said. Kearse said after officers were called to the patrolman's home, the Rolla Police Department conducted its investigation and then referred the case to Phelps County Prosecutor Courtney George, who sought an independent special prosecutor in Pulaski County to review the case. That special prosecutor decided no charges were warranted. "We wanted all this to be above board," Kearse said. "Beyond our investigation, we wanted someone else to take a look at this." While Kearse acknowledged the special prosecutor could not find reason to file charges, he took a less forgiving look at his officer's situation. "We, as police officers, live in glass houses," Kearse said. "Sometimes, these officers are like our children. We need to guide them through this process." For that, Kearse elected to suspend the officer without pay for three days and demote him a rank, which he did not specify. "He has served his three days' suspension, and he's used some vacation time. He'll come back to work in the next couple of days," Kearse said. Kearse said he regrets taking the action, but he noted the officer has been reprimanded and a note of the incident placed in his personnel file.