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Crawford police chief wants his job back
By: MAUNETTE LOEKS, Staff Reporter
CRAWFORD — Crawford’s police chief will seek reinstatement to his position after he was acquitted of charges in the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy.
Crawford Police Chief Richard Thompson, 56, had been placed on paid administrative leave after the Oct. 3, 2007, death of Jesse Britton, of Crawford. After a jury indicted Thompson on charges of second-degree assault in November 2007, the City of Crawford changed Thompson’s leave to unpaid pending the outcome of trial.
Last week, a judge acquitted Thompson of the charge. In the case, Morrill County Attorney Jean Rhodes, who acted as special prosecutor in the case, argued that Thompson had not followed proper protocol in confronting Britton, who had allegedly been staying in an abandoned Crawford bar after running away from home. Thompson and Nebraska Game and Parks Conservation Officer Dan Kling have said that Britton pointed a weapon at Thompson. Both men shot at Britton and all three shots that hit the boy could have been fatal, a pathologist in the case testified.
Rhodes has said that Thompson could have called on other agencies to negotiate with Britton, who had been an upstairs room that Thompson had locked before proceeding up the stairs.
In his ruling, Murphy said physical evidence had not been presented in the case to dispute that Britton had pointed a weapon at Thompson.
With the criminal case resolved, Thompson’s attorney, Marty Connealy of Chadron, said that Thompson is requesting that he be reinstated to his position.
“Chief Thompson would like to return,” he said Monday. “He is ready to return.”
In May, Greg Taylor stepped down as the City of Crawford’s acting police chief to take another position in Idaho. Taylor had served in the position since January.
Connealy said discussions with the City of Crawford have been ongoing. Crawford City Clerk Sandy Seidel told the Star-Herald that the City of Crawford would not comment on the police chief position.
It is not known what the next step in the procedure will be for Thompson to be returned to duty, Connealy said.
Seidel said she would not comment on whether or not the city council would consider Thompson’s reinstatement during its next meeting. The Crawford City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular meeting on June 23, she said.
A civil lawsuit filed by Britton’s mother, Pat Britton, is still pending in federal court, according to court records.
In the lawsuit, Pat Britton says that Thompson demonstrated reckless indifference and negligence in entering the bar and caused a foreseeable escalation. She says Thompson had access to other resources, including the Dawes County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol, and could have used those resources to negotiate or used non-violate de-escalation techniques.
The lawsuit asks for compensatory damages for violation of Jesse Britton’s rights under the federal and state constitution, $5,000 in funeral expenses and punitive damages and the costs associated with the lawsuit. Pat Britton has requested that trial on the matter take place in North Platte, according to the complaint.
The City of Crawford and Kling have also been named in the lawsuit.
Pat Britton is represented by Scottsbluff attorney Maren Chaloupka.
Crawford Police Chief Richard Thompson, 56, had been placed on paid administrative leave after the Oct. 3, 2007, death of Jesse Britton, of Crawford. After a jury indicted Thompson on charges of second-degree assault in November 2007, the City of Crawford changed Thompson’s leave to unpaid pending the outcome of trial.
Last week, a judge acquitted Thompson of the charge. In the case, Morrill County Attorney Jean Rhodes, who acted as special prosecutor in the case, argued that Thompson had not followed proper protocol in confronting Britton, who had allegedly been staying in an abandoned Crawford bar after running away from home. Thompson and Nebraska Game and Parks Conservation Officer Dan Kling have said that Britton pointed a weapon at Thompson. Both men shot at Britton and all three shots that hit the boy could have been fatal, a pathologist in the case testified.
Rhodes has said that Thompson could have called on other agencies to negotiate with Britton, who had been an upstairs room that Thompson had locked before proceeding up the stairs.
In his ruling, Murphy said physical evidence had not been presented in the case to dispute that Britton had pointed a weapon at Thompson.
With the criminal case resolved, Thompson’s attorney, Marty Connealy of Chadron, said that Thompson is requesting that he be reinstated to his position.
“Chief Thompson would like to return,” he said Monday. “He is ready to return.”
In May, Greg Taylor stepped down as the City of Crawford’s acting police chief to take another position in Idaho. Taylor had served in the position since January.
Connealy said discussions with the City of Crawford have been ongoing. Crawford City Clerk Sandy Seidel told the Star-Herald that the City of Crawford would not comment on the police chief position.
It is not known what the next step in the procedure will be for Thompson to be returned to duty, Connealy said.
Seidel said she would not comment on whether or not the city council would consider Thompson’s reinstatement during its next meeting. The Crawford City Council is scheduled to meet for its regular meeting on June 23, she said.
A civil lawsuit filed by Britton’s mother, Pat Britton, is still pending in federal court, according to court records.
In the lawsuit, Pat Britton says that Thompson demonstrated reckless indifference and negligence in entering the bar and caused a foreseeable escalation. She says Thompson had access to other resources, including the Dawes County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol, and could have used those resources to negotiate or used non-violate de-escalation techniques.
The lawsuit asks for compensatory damages for violation of Jesse Britton’s rights under the federal and state constitution, $5,000 in funeral expenses and punitive damages and the costs associated with the lawsuit. Pat Britton has requested that trial on the matter take place in North Platte, according to the complaint.
The City of Crawford and Kling have also been named in the lawsuit.
Pat Britton is represented by Scottsbluff attorney Maren Chaloupka.
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drewru wrote on Jun 19, 2009 5:14 PM: