A former Chattanooga police sergeant who was terminated after allegations of untruthfulness was decertified Friday from working in Tennessee law enforcement, unless he appeals.
Donnis Boochie, who was hired by the Police Department in 2013, was advised of his termination in a letter signed by Chief John Chambers dated Nov. 6 and obtained under a public records request. The firing came after conflicting statements were made throughout the course of an internal affairs investigation, the letter said.
The department submitted the termination letter when requesting his decertification by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which is responsible for developing and enforcing standards and training for Tennessee law enforcement.
Boochie did not appear at an informal commission meeting Thursday morning, a live stream showed, and the board decertified him by default with votes on Thursday and Friday.
Sustained untruthfulness alone is reason enough for the Chattanooga Police Department to request an officer’s decertification, according to the department’s spokesperson, Elisa Myzal. She said by email that honesty or lack thereof directly affects an officer’s ability to serve in a sworn capacity anywhere in Tennessee.