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Bullets for blanks negligent, but rounds not put into guns during police training, attorney says

Posted at 10:21 pm July 13, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Today

KNOXVILLE—The Oak Ridge police lieutenant who sent deactivated .38-caliber pistol ammunition and live .223-caliber rifle rounds rather than blanks for use in a training session three years ago was negligent, an attorney said Thursday.

But the mistake was detected before the live rounds were put into guns, and there was no imminent danger or harm to anyone, said Benjamin K. Lauderback, who represented the City of Oak Ridge in oral arguments before the Tennessee Court of Appeals in Knoxville on Thursday.

The police officer who detected the error, former Oak Ridge Police Department Sgt. Mark Coffey, filed a formal complaint two days after the August 20, 2011, training session, known as an “active shooter” response. He resigned a few months later in October, and in August 2012, he filed a lawsuit in Anderson County Circuit Court alleging retaliation and wrongful discharge.

In the lawsuit, Coffey said other ORPD employees retaliated against him after he filed the complaint against Lt. Brad Jenkins, who supplied the ammunition. Coffey said he had been forced to resign and was “constructively discharged.” Before he left the job, Coffey said, he had been re-assigned to work under Jenkins, and he resigned because of the alleged retaliation and fears for his personal safety. He sought $600,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

The city won a summary judgement, which is like a dismissal, in August 2013. Anderson County Circuit Court Judge Don Elledge did not find that Coffey’s working conditions were bad enough that an ordinary person couldn’t tolerate them, Lauderback said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Oak Ridge, Police and Fire, State, Top Stories Tagged With: active shooter, ammunition, Anderson County Circuit Court, Benjamin K. Lauderback, blanks, Brad Jenkins, Charles D. Susano Jr., City of Oak Ridge, complaint, constructive discharge, constructively discharged, D. Michael Swiney, Don Elledge, Jim Akagi, John W. McClarty, lawsuit, live rounds, Mark Coffey, Matthew Tedford, negligent, Oak Ridge Police Department, oral arguments, ORPD, reckless endangerment, retaliation, rounds, summary judgement, Tennessee Court of Appeals, Thomas Leveille, work conditions

Former Oak Ridge police sergeant files $600,000 lawsuit, alleges retaliation

Posted at 10:19 am August 23, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

CLINTON—A former Oak Ridge Police Department sergeant alleged in a lawsuit filed this week that other employees retaliated against him and he was forced to resign last year after he complained that a lieutenant had sent him live ammunition for use in a training session.

Mark Coffey, who resigned in October 2011, filed the lawsuit in Anderson County Circuit Court on Monday. He is seeking a total of $600,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Police and Fire Tagged With: Anderson County Circuit Court, Brad Jenkins, lawsuit, Mark Coffey, Oak Ridge Police Department, retaliation

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Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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