Manager Of Safety Says Former Officer Shouldn't Get Job Back
DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver police officer fired for driving nearly three times the speed limit says he should get his job back.
Derrick Saunders was let go earlier this month after being arrested last year. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and reckless driving.
Saunders has a history of problems with the Denver Police Department. In 2009 he was investigated for allegedly pulling a gun on a fast food employee. Then last year he was arrested for speeding at 143 mph while under the influence of alcohol.
Manager of Safety Alex Martinez recommended Saunder's termination. The police department calls for suspension when an officer is caught speeding at more than 20 mph in a non-work situation.
Martinez felt the extreme speed coupled with alcohol use was enough to fire him.
"Do you really think that someone who would do that should wear a badge and carry a gun and you would trust him as a police officer?" Martinez said during an interview with CBS4 on Thursday.
Saunder's appealed the termination, calling Martinez's decision "unlawful."
Martinez says if Saunders is reinstated the disciplinary code may need to be revised.
