Mayor tries to fire police officer for writing his son a traffic ticket
Cpl. Joshua Rowell is a new member of the five-man Stockton police force. So, last Tuesday he didn't think twice about pulling over a driver in a small white car for avoiding a DUI stop. "He didn't have a driver's license, so I issued him a citation for that," Rowell explained.
He didn't think twice, that is, until he handed the ticket to the court clerk. "She looked at it and said, ‘Hey, you know you just gave the mayor's son a ticket?' And I said, ‘Oh, crap,'" Rowell said.
Rowell said he knew there was trouble when, about 20 minutes later, he found the chief of police in the mayor's truck in a heated discussion. Then he said the mayor, Dan Rydalch, rolled down the window and demanded he get in his truck. When he refused, Rydalch abruptly fired him on the spot.
"He told me, ‘All right, I want your badge in the morning,'" Rowell said. "I tried to defend myself and say, ‘First of all, look, he was breaking the law. Second of all, I didn't know he was your son.'" Shortly after the incident, Rowell was told he was suspended without pay, indefinitely.
"The mayor, I think, was wrong," said Stockton City Council member David Durtschi. According to Durtschi, not only was Mayor Rydalch out of line, the council stands behind Cpl. Rowell. In fact, the town is so upset about the mayor's actions, many of the citizens are trying to change their write-in ballots for the upcoming election.
My question to you: Should the mayor be punished for trying to fire Officer Rowell? What should his punishment be?
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He didn't think twice, that is, until he handed the ticket to the court clerk. "She looked at it and said, ‘Hey, you know you just gave the mayor's son a ticket?' And I said, ‘Oh, crap,'" Rowell said.
Rowell said he knew there was trouble when, about 20 minutes later, he found the chief of police in the mayor's truck in a heated discussion. Then he said the mayor, Dan Rydalch, rolled down the window and demanded he get in his truck. When he refused, Rydalch abruptly fired him on the spot.
"He told me, ‘All right, I want your badge in the morning,'" Rowell said. "I tried to defend myself and say, ‘First of all, look, he was breaking the law. Second of all, I didn't know he was your son.'" Shortly after the incident, Rowell was told he was suspended without pay, indefinitely.
"The mayor, I think, was wrong," said Stockton City Council member David Durtschi. According to Durtschi, not only was Mayor Rydalch out of line, the council stands behind Cpl. Rowell. In fact, the town is so upset about the mayor's actions, many of the citizens are trying to change their write-in ballots for the upcoming election.
My question to you: Should the mayor be punished for trying to fire Officer Rowell? What should his punishment be?
full ksl article
via digg
Tags: mayor, police officer, son, traffic ticket, writing
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Fatima on -
yes, he should be punished. He should step down and never again run for mayor, ever.
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Permalink Reply by Gofaster on -
yea. He should be impeached. Clear abuse of power. No one is above the law.
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Permalink Reply by sAm on -
The officer should respect the authority of the mayor and resign....JUST KIDDING!
Yeah agree with the rest, lets tar and feather the mayor then leave him in the town square so kids can pelt rotten eggs at him.
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Permalink Reply by grace on -
another sad example of power in the wrong hands, e.g., Lex Luther, Ron Boygoyovich, all Republicans.
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Permalink Reply by Eugene on -
Stockton mayor replaced
"Voters in the town of Stockton made their opinion of mayor Dan Rydalch known Tuesday night at the polls.
Oponent Mark Whitey won the town's vote for mayor with over 75 percent of the vote.
With a total of 230 voters, Whitney snagged 173 of them.
Citizens in Stockton had said they wanted Rydalch ousted after they learned he fired a police officer for giving his son a ticket.
That officer was later reinstated by the Stockton City Council."
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