[IN] Coddling the good Officer Brooks, or - "To be violent is to be human"

...“Brooks will not be arrested. Anderson City Court Prosecutor Eric Saltzmann said a summons will be sent to his home, citing him... [Defense Atty. Williams] "What helps Linc when it comes to the department is his 10 years of clean conduct. He’s a good guy who’s very well thought of by the department and the community. He’s human...”

Previous entry:
[IN] Officer Brooks' ominous calls and visit result in no arrest
- ...[Officer] Brooks, who is dating Kumkoski’s ex-wife, took a protective order out against Kumkoski on March 24, but the details of why he took out the order weren’t immediately known late Monday... "I’m outside your house - you’re a (expletive)... You’ve ran your mouth long enough. Call the police, I don’t care. I’ll go to jail, just like you did”... In the internal investigation, police owe it to the citizens of Anderson to explore whether Brooks should have been charged immediately and to give a full explanation as to why he wasn’t...

Video from April '08 news - "Language may be offensive"

APD officer charged with misdemeanors
Prosecutor says Brooks tried to goad man into fight
theheraldbulletin.com
By Shawn McGrath
July 14, 2008
ANDERSON — Prosecutors charged a city police officer with a pair of misdemeanors Monday saying he tried to provoke another man into fighting several months ago. Prosecutor Thomas Broderick Jr. charged Anderson Police Officer Lincoln C. Brooks, 43, on Monday with public intoxication and disorderly conduct, both Class B misdemeanors, and provocation, a Class C infraction. The prosecutor claims Brooks tried to goad Mark A. Kumkoski into fighting him outside Kumkoski’s Home Avenue residence April 7. Brooks, a 10-year department veteran currently assigned to desk duty, declined comment Monday... Brooks’ attorney, Bryan Williams, said the officer realizes his mistake and wants to move on... Brooks will not be arrested. Anderson City Court Prosecutor Eric Saltzmann said a summons will be sent to his home, citing him to make an initial court appearance on Aug. 1. A Class B misdemeanor carries a maximum punishment of 180 days behind bars and a $1,000 fine. According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the charges: Kumkoski, 40, called police, after Brooks showed up at his home at about 4:45 a.m., banged on his door and tried goading him into a fight... Officers arrived at the scene and took Brooks into custody and then to the police station. Brooks wasn’t arrested that day. Instead, he was questioned and released... He admitted to drinking several beers before going to Kumkoski’s home, and “admitted that he intended to fight Kumkoski... (Brooks) stated that due to personal issues that he and Mr. Kumkoski had been having he decided to go to Kumkoski’s house to confront him and settle their differences.” Brooks, who makes $42,000 a year, was placed on paid administrative leave until returning June 19 to serve desk duty... Kumkoski previously told The Herald Bulletin that Brooks was dating his ex-wife... Sgt. William Casey, APD spokesman, said any discipline Brooks could face won’t be decided until the legal case has been adjudicated, likely in mid-September Williams said Brooks’ record with the department will likely minimize any discipline he receives. “I’m confident that they’ll not seek termination,” the attorney said, “but I won’t speculate beyond that. What helps Linc when it comes to the department is his 10 years of clean conduct. He’s a good guy who’s very well thought of by the department and the community. He’s human... Linc’s interest in getting this behind him is because he’s been on the department for 10 years without a write-up and now this hits him,” Williams said. “It’s caused him a lot of stress that not only he has embarrassed his family, but also the department.” [Full article here]