[WA] SEATTLE POLICE ORDERED TO REHIRE FIRED OFFICER FELTON

HEY! WAIT! THIS IS THE "BRAME STATE." IF THIS CAN STILL HAPPEN IN A MAJOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WITHIN WASHINGTON STATE - AFTER A WATERFALL OF MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR LAWSUITS HERE, STATE-WIDE POLICE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW CHANGES, AND EVEN SNOWBALLED FEDERAL LEGISLATION - IN THE WAKE OF TACOMA'S POLICE CHIEF DAVID BRAME FATALLY SHOOTING HIMSELF AFTER MORTALLY WOUNDING HIS WIFE CRYSTAL WITH A CONTACT GLOCK SHOT TO HER HEAD - JUST 5 YEARS AGO, LORD HELP US! EVEN HERE A CHIEF CAN HARDLY, BARELY, ALMOST-CAN'T CHOOSE [AT ALL] TO DUMP HER OR HIS UNDESIRABLE OFFICERS? STILL?

Condolences are sincerely extended to the Seattle Police Department as they are being ORDERED to rehire fired Officer Felton Miles.

...Felton J. Miles, 53, was arrested June 29 [2007] after the 42-year-old victim called 911. The victim had been watching television with the officer's ex-wife at her Mill Creek home when the off-duty officer crashed through the front screen door, charged toward him and threatened to kill him, court documents say. The 42-year-old ex-wife tried to intervene and the officer shoved her out of the way. When she went to call 911, the officer left after threatening, "I should kill you, now," police reports say... A POLICE DISPATCH LOG NOTES PRIOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTS AT THE HOME...

Panel orders fired Seattle police officer reinstated
Seattle Times
By Jennifer Sullivan
jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Friday, August 8, 2008
[Excerpts] A civil service panel has ordered the Seattle Police Department to reinstate a 20-year veteran officer who was fired after being charged with felony harassment of his ex-wife and her date. A jury in the Snohomish County trial of former Officer Felton Miles deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal in January. Miles pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and Chief Gil Kerlikowske has refused to rehire him. Miles appealed the chief's decision to the Public Safety Civil Service Commission. The commission, in an opinion issued Thursday, disagreed with the way Kerlikowske handled Miles' firing and found a department policy of routinely firing officers after they have been charged with a felony — but before being convicted — "not reasonable." The commission ordered the department to meet with Miles and come up with a "remedy" to his case in the next 30 days. Miles' attorney said he wants to return to the force. Two of the three commissioners said the department had evidence to suspend Miles for 20 days, but not fire him. The department referred calls to City Attorney Tom Carr whose spokeswoman didn't return calls for comment... [Full article here]

Excerpts from articles I have:
[I don't know if the links are still good, but I've included them.]

COUNCILMAN GOSSETT’S SON SUES CITY OVER POLICE INCIDENT
The Seattle Medium
Volume 37, Number 14
By Gene Johnson
April 5, 2006
[Excerpts] Langston Gossett, the son of King County Councilman Larry Gossett, has sued the city and two Seattle Police officers, saying he was roughed up when he was mistaken for a car prowler. Langston Gossett, 25, filed the lawsuit against Officers Felton J. Miles and John P. Knight in King County Superior Court last month, and the defendants had the case transferred to federal court on Friday... Gossett repeatedly asked what he was suspected of, but the officer refused to answer. Miles then showed up, and as Knight searched around the property, Miles bent back Gossett’s left hand, causing intense pain, and forced him into the back of a cruiser, the complaint said. The officers let him go a few minutes later, when the victim arrived and informed them that Gossett wasn’t the suspect, but the son of a King County Council member... Both officers are black and veterans of the department... They were cleared by an internal affairs investigation. Larry Gossett said he supports his son’s lawsuit, but wasn’t home at the time... "He’s a grown man. He felt very aggrieved and treated unfairly by the Seattle Police," Gossett said. "I talked to my neighbors about what happened. They all agreed he was abused and not handled very professionally." The suit seeks unspecified damages. [Full article here]

OFFICER ARRESTED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
June 29, 2007
[Excerpt] An off-duty Seattle police officer was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence early Friday after he allegedly assaulted his ex-wife and threatened her male friend inside the woman's Mill Creek home.. The 20-year veteran was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary, assault and felony harassment. His gun and badge were confiscated after he surrendered to officers at the Mill Creek Police Department... No one was SERIOUSLY hurt, but the victims were frightened after he left... [Full article here]

SEATTLE COP ARRESTED ON ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
Seattle Times
By Jennifer Sullivan jensullivan@seattletimes.com
July 7, 2007
[Excerpts] A longtime Seattle police officer has been relieved from duty after authorities say he pushed his ex-wife and threatened to kill her boyfriend... The Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office has not decided on charges. According to a police report, Miles showed up at the home unexpectedly. He shouted obscenities before bursting through the door... Miles' ex-wife told police she tried to stop him from coming inside, but he shoved her out of the way and walked up to where her new boyfriend was sitting, the report said. The boyfriend claimed that Miles said, "I should kill you!" before he left... The ex-wife, Tondi Miles, 41, told police that during her 20-year relationship with Miles, she knew him to carry a firearm at all times... Miles' ex-wife has requested a domestic-violence protection order... It's not the first time Miles has been accused of assault. Last year, the son of Metropolitan King County Councilman Larry Gossett sued the city, as well as Miles and another officer for allegedly roughing him up... [Full article here]

SEATTLE POLICE FIRE OFFICER CHARGED WITH FELONY HARASSMENT
Seattle Times
By Jennifer Sullivan jensullivan@seattletimes.com
July 25, 2007
[Excerpts] ...Felton Miles, 53, had been relieved from duty after Mill Creek police said he threatened to kill his ex-wife and her boyfriend on June 28. His ex-wife said she has a restraining order against him... According to a police report, Miles showed up at his ex-wife's Mill Creek home unexpectedly and started shouting obscenities. He left his 6-year-old daughter in his truck and burst through the door... Miles' ex-wife told police she tried to stop him from coming inside but that he shoved her out of the way and walked up to where her boyfriend was sitting, the report said. The boyfriend claimed Miles said, "I should kill you!"... Miles then called the house and demanded to talk to the boyfriend, according to charging papers. He claimed to know where the man lived and said he didn't need a gun "to take [the man] out"... According to charging papers, both the ex-wife and her boyfriend said Miles appeared to be wearing a gun on his hip but that he never drew a weapon... [Full article here]

POLICE OFFICER HASN'T BEEN FIRED, ATTORNEY SAYS
He is accused of felony harassment
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
By Scott Gutierrez scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com.
July 25, 2007
[Excerpts] The lawyer representing a Seattle police officer charged with felony harassment said Wednesday her client is still employed, contradicting a Police Department statement that said the officer was fired... Miles, a 25-year veteran, still has a hearing set for Monday with Chief Gil Kerlikowske on disciplinary action, according to the Seattle Police Officers' Guild. The officer may have been notified of a recommendation to fire him, but until he's afforded a federally mandated "Loudermill" hearing with the chief, that decision is not considered final, the guild said... Police spokesman Jeff Kappel, however, said that Tuesday's statement was accurate. "As far as the department is concerned, his employment was terminated on July 24, 2007"... [Full article here]

CHARGES LEAD TO OFFICER'S FIRING
Man accused of threatening to kill friend of ex-wife
Seattle Post-Intelligencer scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com.
By Scott Gutierrez
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
[Excerpts] ...Felton J. Miles, 53, was arrested June 29 after the 42-year-old victim called 911. The victim had been watching television with the officer's ex-wife at her Mill Creek home when the off-duty officer crashed through the front screen door, charged toward him and threatened to kill him, court documents say. The 42-year-old ex-wife tried to intervene and the officer shoved her out of the way. When she went to call 911, the officer left after threatening, "I should kill you, now," police reports say. Miles, whose twin brother also is a Seattle police officer, was charged Monday. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 10 in Snohomish County Superior Court. He faces one to three months in jail if convicted... A POLICE DISPATCH LOG NOTES PRIOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTS AT THE HOME. Their divorce was finalized in April and the ex-wife had changed all the locks... Miles, of Monroe, was one of two officers sued in 2006 by Langston Gossett, who is the son of King County Council Chairman Larry Gossett. Langston Gossett, then 25, accused Miles and Officer John Knight of negligence and civil rights violations after Knight mistook him for a car prowler while Gossett stood on his family's porch... The lawsuit alleged that the officers detained Gossett and painfully frisked him, and that Miles unnecessarily bent back Gossett's fingers... The lawsuit was dismissed in February after Gossett and the city settled out of court... Hours before Miles' arrest, Mill Creek police called him and asked that he turn himself in. The 25-year veteran refused, saying that he hadn't touched his ex-wife and that he had only threatened the victim, so he couldn't be arrested, police reports say... The victim said that he saw Miles reach for a bulge on his hip during the attack, which he suspected was the officer's gun. The officer, however, who was not in uniform, denied that he had his weapon... It wasn't until 4:45 a.m. the next morning that the officer surrendered after speaking with his attorney and the Seattle police captain who oversees internal investigations. Miles was released from jail on bond... [Full article here]

POLICE CHIEF FIRES SEATTLE OFFICER CHARGED WITH HARASSMENT
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
By Scott Gutierrez scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com.
July 30, 2007
[Excerpts] A Seattle police officer charged with felony harassment was formally fired Monday, but his lawyer said the officer plans to appeal the decision... The felony charge prompted police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to end the officer's employment after a hearing Monday. Miles' arraignment is set for Aug. 10 in Snohomish County Superior Court. If convicted, he faces one to three months in jail. His attorney, Anna Tolin, said the officer would plead not guilty. If the case is dropped or reduced, or the officer is acquitted, that could bolster his administrative appeal. "His termination was expedited and based on unproven accusations. We believe his firing did not comply with the department's contractual obligations to its officers or Mr. Miles' right to legal due process"... The 25-year veteran has been on medical leave since July 25, one day after prosecutors charged him... Under the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters Retirement System 1, which covers officers hired between 1970 and 1977, he is entitled to six months pay equal to his salary, despite disciplinary action. His monthly salary was $6,340, according to the Police Department... [Full article here]

SEATTLE POLICE FIRE OFFICER CHARGED WITH FELONY
Examiner.com
Jul 24, 2007
[Excerpt] The Seattle Police Department today fired an officer who was charged yesterday with felony harassment. 53-year-old Felton Miles, of Monroe, was relieved from duty after Mill Creek police said he threatened to kill his former wife and her boyfriend on June 28th. His ex-wife said she has a restraining order against him.... [Full article here]

SEATTLE POLICE FIRE OFFICER CHARGED WITH FELONY HARASSMENT
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
July 25, 2007
...Miles had been with the department 20 years... He left his 6-year-old daughter in his truck and burst through the door... The boyfriend claimed Miles said, "I should kill you"... then called the house... claimed to know where the man lived and said he didn't need a gun "to take [the man] out"... [Full article here]

POLICE OFFICER HASN'T BEEN FIRED, ATTORNEY SAYS
He Is Accused Of Felony Harassment
By Scott Gutierrez
P-I REPORTER
July 25, 2007
[Excerpts] The lawyer representing a Seattle police officer charged with felony harassment said Wednesday her client is still employed, contradicting a Police Department statement that said the officer was fired... The officer may have been notified of a recommendation to fire him, but until he's afforded a federally mandated "Loudermill" hearing with the chief, that decision is not considered final... Police spokesman Jeff Kappel, however, said that Tuesday's statement was accurate. "As far as the department is concerned, his employment was terminated on July 24, 2007"... [Full article here]

CHARGES LEAD TO OFFICER'S FIRING
Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill Friend Of Ex-Wife
By Scott Gutierrez
P-I REPORTER
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
[Excerpts] A Seattle police officer was fired Tuesday... Miles, 53, was arrested June 29 after the 42-year-old victim called 911. The victim had been watching television with the officer's ex-wife at her Mill Creek home when the off-duty officer crashed through the front screen door, charged toward him and threatened to kill him... Miles, whose twin brother also is a Seattle police officer, was charged Monday. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 10 in Snohomish County Superior Court. He faces one to three months in jail if convicted... Miles, of Monroe, was one of two officers sued in 2006 by Langston Gossett, who is the son of King County Council Chairman Larry Gossett... Hours before Miles' arrest, Mill Creek police called him and asked that he turn himself in. The 25-year veteran refused, saying that he hadn't touched his ex-wife and that he had only threatened the victim, so he couldn't be arrested... The victim said that he saw Miles reach for a bulge on his hip during the attack, which he suspected was the officer's gun... It wasn't until 4:45 a.m. the next morning that the officer surrendered... [Full article here]