Cleveland: Shooting was ‘drunken game,’ police chief says

Saturday, December 20, 2008


By:
Randall Higgins (Contact)

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — An internal investigation into the conduct of officers involved in a Nov. 30 shooting intersects with a criminal investigation that led to the arrest of a local doctor Thursday, Cleveland Police Chief Wes Snyder said Friday.

Chief Snyder said the investigations must be kept separate to ensure fairness.

On the night of Nov. 30, Officer Chris Mason was wounded in the hand by Officer Dennis Hughes, police reports stated.

“Everybody was led to believe this was an accidental shooting,” Chief Snyder said. “It was accidental but intentional.”

The officers’ story did not match what investigators found at the scene, he said. They learned the shooting was the result of a “stupid, drunken game of Russian roulette,” Chief Snyder said. “That may be debatable in court. But after that, it became a series of tragic incidents.”

PDF: Cleveland Grand Jury

Article: Cleveland: Cops and doctors

On Wednesday, officer Jonathan Hammons was charged with perjury and filing a false report. Officer Hughes was indicted on charges of perjury and filing a false report and of firing the weapon that injured Officer Mason.

A fourth, unnamed officer is being investigated as well.

Chief Snyder said investigators looking into the shooting found a pill bottle in Officer Hughes’ car that led to the arrest Thursday of Dr. James Wallace Sego on charges of drug fraud.

He said the TBI’s criminal investigation of Dr. Sego is separate from the police internal probe into possible violations of department policies and procedures by the officers. He said constitutional protections against self-incrimination means that information officers give him during an internal investigation can’t be turned over to criminal investigators.

However, he said, information from a criminal investigation can be turned over to him as part of the internal investigation.

That internal investigation will likely be concluded in about a week, Chief Snyder said.

“That’s what I am waiting on, that internal investigation,” he said.

Officer Hammons has been suspended and Officer Hughes resigned, records show.

City Manager Janice Casteel said a city employee who is reprimanded, suspended or dismissed may appeal and seek a review.

“They have two working days from receiving the notification of disciplinary action,” she said.

Subscribe Here!
Tech Talk