The paper trail won’t stop growing inside Red Bank City Hall, where two police officers who sued the city continue to battle its top administrator and interim police chief.
On Sept. 22, eight days after Officer Bradley Hanon returned from a 60-day “mental exhaustion” leave of absence, interim Chief Dan Knight sent the officer a letter that accused him of “using your negativity to bring chaos and [dissent]” to the department.
In August, Hanon sued Red Bank for $1.5 million. He said that after he exposed several incidents of alleged improper police work, officials retaliated by trying to change his work shift and Mayor Joe Glasscock assaulted him in the City Hall parking lot.
Glasscock has denied Hanon’s accusation.
Hanon also wrote a letter accusing Knight, Lt. Jay Lamance and Officer Shane Dockery of violating several departmental policies.
City Manager Chris Dorsey said “several” officers have complained about Hanon, “but it’s not like half the department.”
Dorsey added that only one city employee – Officer Tammie Delashmitt- filed a written complaint against Hanon. Citing an ongoing investigation, he would not release the complaint.
Hanon filed his lawsuit a day before Delashmitt filed her complaint. The lawsuit relies heavily on his attempt to prevent Delashmitt from doing what he claimed was improper police work, such as arresting a DUI suspect outside Red Bank jurisdiction and tampering with records.
Knight, in his Sept. 22 letter, wrote that Hanon has “been harassing other officers that are only trying to do their jobs.”
The letter does not offer specific examples of harassment.
Hanon quickly responded to Knight’s letter.
“You offer no specific incidents or actions that I may have done to violate any rules, procedures or policies of this city,” Hanon wrote. “If complaints have been made … I would expect an investigation into the actions rather than the degrading and inflammatory letter you sent.”
Cpl. Rebecca Chauncey, who followed Hanon’s $1.5 million lawsuit with one of her own, also is running into trouble with superiors.
Since unsuccessfully appealing a suspension for allowing a subordinate to carry a weapon he wasn’t qualified to use, Chauncey’s attorney told reporters she was disciplined for a separate incident of “insubordination.”
“It appears the defendants are nitpicking any small infraction while blowing off any complaint from Mr. Hanon,” said Robin Flores, who represents both police officers in their lawsuits.
Knight, the interim police chief, disagrees. When asked why Dorsey hasn’t fired two officers perceived as “negative,” Knight replied, “good question.”
“You have to remember, the administration is dealing with the litigation and courts and all the attorneys involved,” he said. “When it comes to termination, that’s [Dorsey’s] call.”