[ME] Capt./Firefighter Dorr's domestic violence charges evaporating into thin air

...[Westbrook firefighter Richard "Rick" Dorr] was charged with domestic violence, criminal threatening and obstructing the report of a crime... J.P. DeGrinney, the lawyer representing Dorr, said in a statement that the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office has dropped the charges of domestic violence and criminal threatening. Dorr still faces charges of obstructing a report of a crime...

CHARGED IN OFF-DUTY CRIMES, WESTBROOK FIREFIGHTERS LOSE JOBS: Richard Dorr and James Gammon had been on leave since their arrests.
Press Herald
By Melanie Creamer
July 27, 2010
[Excerpts] Two Westbrook firefighters who were arrested last month and placed on leave have lost their jobs... Richard Dorr, a captain with the call company, was terminated during his meeting with city officials Monday... Dorr was put on unpaid leave after his arrest June 22. He was charged with domestic violence, criminal threatening and obstructing the report of a crime... Dorr declined to comment on his dismissal. J.P. DeGrinney, the lawyer representing Dorr, said in a statement that the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office has dropped the charges of domestic violence and criminal threatening. Dorr still faces charges of obstructing a report of a crime. His wife said in the protection order that Dorr threw her cell phone across the room and stepped on it after she threatened to call police. "This poses a very interesting dilemma in that the Westbrook Police Department has made an arrest for obstructing the report of a crime when there is no underlying charge and no crime to report," DeGrinney said in a statement. "Dismissing a competent, qualified, and complaint-free fireman is not wise given the myriad of problems currently facing (the fire department). Good leaders seek out the real root of systemic problems and deal with them. Finding and firing an innocent scapegoat does not fix anything, and the public at large knows it"... The personnel decisions come about two weeks after the resignation of James Harbaugh, a part-time Westbrook firefighter. He was put on unpaid leave after a woman obtained a protection-from-harassment order against him. He resigned from the department July 12... [Full article here]

Comments:

null said...
or maybe she didn't want to see the father of her children thrown in jail and just wants to be able to walk away from a hurtful relationshop and get on with her life without having to fear the man she used to have faith in and love and cherish.....

Sam said...
If the District Attorney's Office dropped the charges of domestic violence and criminal threatening then those alleged activities likely never really happened. So if there was no crime how could Dorr be charged with obstructing the reporting of it? Sounds like he actually might have stopped a crime - the illegal reporting of a crime where none existed!

[TEFLON]