Saturday, August 30, 2008
News
City employees claim Panos didn't want to work
By DOMINIC ADAMS, Argus-Press Staff Writer
CORUNA - Statements from city employees detail a former part-time Corunna police officer's inability to work his scheduled shifts.
Angelo Panos claims he was fired after spending nearly five years as a part-time officer. The city claims Panos didn't show up to work his scheduled shifts.
“While talking to Angelo, he asked if he was being fired and I said, ‘No, you are scheduled to work and you can't work the shifts.' He replied, ‘It sounds like I'm being fired.' I replied, ‘You call it what ever you want Angelo,'” Police Chief Kim Williams statement read.
City Manager Joe Sawyer released the statements from Williams, City Assessor Merilee Lawson, Officer Nick Chiros and Officer Dominic Johnson to The Argus-Press because he said they would be in the city council's information packet for its Sept. 2 meeting.
Sawyer said Williams' unsigned statement Aug. 14 came from the chief's handwritten notes. Lawson made her signed statement Aug. 27 because she was on vacation following the incident, Sawyer said.
Panos requested a witness for his discussion with Williams.
Lawson's statement detailed how Williams asked for Panos' badge and other department property at least six times during the discussion.
“Chief Williams was again sympathetic towards Mr. Panos personal issues and told him so, however, he repeated again that Mr. Panos needed to understand his position as far as needing to run the department,” Lawson said in her statement. “Chief Williams also explained to Mr. Panos that other officers within the department had been complaining to him for some time regarding Mr. Panos not carrying his work load. Mr. Panos stated that he had spoken to some of the guys and they didn't all say that.”
Both Williams' and Lawson's statements show another employee telling Panos he wasn't “carrying his weight with the department,” during the Aug. 14 conversation.
Part-time officer Dominic Johnson said Panos offered to give Johnson his shifts while qualifying for the department firearm requirements Aug. 12 at the Shiawassee County Dog and Gun Club.
“Angelo and I were talking about different shifts and he stated that if I wanted to take any of his shifts I could have them,” Johnson said in his statement. “Angelo stated that he didn't really want to work his shifts and if I wanted to take them I could.”
Dean Yeotis, Panos' attorney, said he plans to file a civil lawsuit in Shiawassee County Circuit Court against the city.
“Why would you have a problem with that unless you're trying to get rid of somebody,” Yeotis said of Panos having other officers cover his shifts. “Why all the sudden is it such a big issue other than the fact that this is your big opportunity to get rid of Angelo Panos?”
Yeotis said Panos filed his first lawsuit in 2005 because of backlash Panos received from city officials when he arrested Sawyer for drunk driving.
The city's insurance company paid Panos $25,000 to settle a civil lawsuit last year in which Panos claimed he was passed up for a full-time position in 2005. Sawyer previously said it was a poor decision by the insurance company and didn't cost Corunna anything.
In Panos' lawsuit, he claimed the city threatened his employment multiple times.
Panos had no shifts scheduled for a six-week period after arresting Sawyer. Sawyer previously said it was because the former police chief overspent his budget.
Panos also claimed the city tried to have him charged with racial discrimination in October 2006.
However, Sawyer said it was a case investigated by the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Department and the prosecutor's office made the decision not to press charges.
A letter of reprimand for conduct unbecoming an officer from Williams went in Panos' personnel file. City officials removed the two-year letter from Panos' personnel file, Sawyer said. The copy provided to The Argus-Press was from the city's legal file from Panos' lawsuit, Sawyer said.
Sawyer said the city is tired of having its name dragged through the mud.
“It's been very frustrating,” Sawyer said of the ongoing conflict between the city and Panos. “There's no gray areas here. Nobody's picking on the guy. We're tired of sitting by silently when we're accused of these things that are completely false.”
- Contact Dominic Adams at 725-5136 extension 239 or by e-mail at dadamsarguspress@gmail.com.
Angelo Panos claims he was fired after spending nearly five years as a part-time officer. The city claims Panos didn't show up to work his scheduled shifts.
“While talking to Angelo, he asked if he was being fired and I said, ‘No, you are scheduled to work and you can't work the shifts.' He replied, ‘It sounds like I'm being fired.' I replied, ‘You call it what ever you want Angelo,'” Police Chief Kim Williams statement read.
City Manager Joe Sawyer released the statements from Williams, City Assessor Merilee Lawson, Officer Nick Chiros and Officer Dominic Johnson to The Argus-Press because he said they would be in the city council's information packet for its Sept. 2 meeting.
Sawyer said Williams' unsigned statement Aug. 14 came from the chief's handwritten notes. Lawson made her signed statement Aug. 27 because she was on vacation following the incident, Sawyer said.
Panos requested a witness for his discussion with Williams.
Lawson's statement detailed how Williams asked for Panos' badge and other department property at least six times during the discussion.
“Chief Williams was again sympathetic towards Mr. Panos personal issues and told him so, however, he repeated again that Mr. Panos needed to understand his position as far as needing to run the department,” Lawson said in her statement. “Chief Williams also explained to Mr. Panos that other officers within the department had been complaining to him for some time regarding Mr. Panos not carrying his work load. Mr. Panos stated that he had spoken to some of the guys and they didn't all say that.”
Both Williams' and Lawson's statements show another employee telling Panos he wasn't “carrying his weight with the department,” during the Aug. 14 conversation.
Part-time officer Dominic Johnson said Panos offered to give Johnson his shifts while qualifying for the department firearm requirements Aug. 12 at the Shiawassee County Dog and Gun Club.
“Angelo and I were talking about different shifts and he stated that if I wanted to take any of his shifts I could have them,” Johnson said in his statement. “Angelo stated that he didn't really want to work his shifts and if I wanted to take them I could.”
Dean Yeotis, Panos' attorney, said he plans to file a civil lawsuit in Shiawassee County Circuit Court against the city.
“Why would you have a problem with that unless you're trying to get rid of somebody,” Yeotis said of Panos having other officers cover his shifts. “Why all the sudden is it such a big issue other than the fact that this is your big opportunity to get rid of Angelo Panos?”
Yeotis said Panos filed his first lawsuit in 2005 because of backlash Panos received from city officials when he arrested Sawyer for drunk driving.
The city's insurance company paid Panos $25,000 to settle a civil lawsuit last year in which Panos claimed he was passed up for a full-time position in 2005. Sawyer previously said it was a poor decision by the insurance company and didn't cost Corunna anything.
In Panos' lawsuit, he claimed the city threatened his employment multiple times.
Panos had no shifts scheduled for a six-week period after arresting Sawyer. Sawyer previously said it was because the former police chief overspent his budget.
Panos also claimed the city tried to have him charged with racial discrimination in October 2006.
However, Sawyer said it was a case investigated by the Shiawassee County Sheriff's Department and the prosecutor's office made the decision not to press charges.
A letter of reprimand for conduct unbecoming an officer from Williams went in Panos' personnel file. City officials removed the two-year letter from Panos' personnel file, Sawyer said. The copy provided to The Argus-Press was from the city's legal file from Panos' lawsuit, Sawyer said.
Sawyer said the city is tired of having its name dragged through the mud.
“It's been very frustrating,” Sawyer said of the ongoing conflict between the city and Panos. “There's no gray areas here. Nobody's picking on the guy. We're tired of sitting by silently when we're accused of these things that are completely false.”
- Contact Dominic Adams at 725-5136 extension 239 or by e-mail at dadamsarguspress@gmail.com.