One-by-one, reserve and paid officers stepped forward and turned in their badges, keys and other items after the town council made the decision to immediately terminate the employment of Mike Thomas, police chief, Steve Brackett, assistant police chief, and Officers Monty Davis and Tim Wiley, all "for the good of the service."
Kenny Johnson, council member, made the motion to fire all four officers, and James Smith, council member, seconded Johnson's motion. Vic Harris, another council member, also voted in favor of all the firings.
Vian Mayor Jim Lewis and Luther Irish, council member, voted against terminating the employment of Brackett and Thomas, while voting in favor of firing Davis and Wiley.
"I didn't agree with the firings. I think personal is personal and business is business," one reserve officer who quit following the firings said.
All told, eight officers were either fired or walked out, leaving only two officers, who Thomas said are only reserve certified officers.
OFFICERS PLAN APPEAL
"We're going to appeal their decision," Thomas, who has worked at the department since Dec. 31, 2004, said after the meeting.
Thomas, who has served as the police chief for the last year, said under the Oklahoma Municipal League's guidelines, the officers have the right to appeal.
"I believe it was personal," Thomas said of his and Brackett's termination. "We both believe it was personal issues."
Brackett, who has been with the department since September 2005, said he believes that he was fired because he refused to drop citations against someone even after one council member threatened him to do so or lose his job.
Thomas said he believes the other two officers were fired for nepotism reasons because both Davis and Wiley are related to council members. He explained that the governing body can not employ any family member who falls within the third degree of kinship.
Thomas pointed out that none of the fired officers have written complaints or write-ups in their files.
"I appreciate all the officers support," Thomas said. "I'm disappointed it had to come down to several council members personal agendas to force some of our officers to resign."
In the meantime, a sheriff's deputy said the two officers who stayed with the department will each work 12-hour shifts and the sheriff's department will help the town if they get too busy.
RESIDENTS COMPLAIN
Prior to going into executive session to discuss the officers' employment and to address employment issues, specifically nepotism, the council heard from outraged members of the community, who voiced allegations about excessive police force, police harassment, and alleged arson by one officer.
Although on the agenda the council was to discuss the complaints submitted by two Vian women, Crystal Taylor and Anita Glass, and the "black community," Taylor said it wasn't a racial issue but an issue that has affected both black and white citizens in the community.
It was standing room only in the crowded council chambers as residents and police officers sparred with words about recent incidents in the town, including a petition that circulated through the town and called for Brackett's dismissal.
Taylor said after the meeting that the alleged harassment by some police officers had been going on for a while. Taylor claims that harassment has included officers stopping at her driveway and following her.
She said most of the harassment seemed to occur in a neighborhood south of the railroad tracks in town. Poor people, she said, were harassed the most and residents were finally tired of it.
"I was very happy," Taylor said of the outcome of the Monday night meeting. "I hope the officers we get in now go by the law and don't harass (people)."
While some were happy about the firings, others in the community voiced their disappointment with the council's decision.
"I think what you did was shameless," an elderly resident shouted before leaving. "It's shameless."
During the meeting, some officers accused of harassment offered legitimate reasons for their actions and denied harassing residents.
Mayor Jim Lewis told the citizens that police officers were supposed to patrol every street of the town every hour.
"You should see a police car every hour," Lewis said.
One man who claimed that he received harsh punishment from police after being arrested for driving under suspension said he was later stopped for "no reason."
Thomas explained to the man that once a driver gets their driver's license taken away that gives police probable cause to stop the driver if he or she is seen driving. Brackett, the arresting officer, said if the driver is drunk while driving, they will go to jail. As far as police brutality, Brackett said the man who was arrested resisted arrest and wanted to fight him on two occasions.
As far as the arson allegation, Thomas said an officer was called to the scene of a fire and was the first to arrive because the fire department had been delayed by a train. The officer accused of setting the fire, Thomas said, had been booking someone into the jail when he got the call about the fire and there were witnesses who could verify that.
James Smith, council member, brought up an issue he had about a petition that had been circulated through the town calling for Brackett's termination. When it was discovered that another officer's name had been forged on the petition, police officers were sent to areas of the town to see if the officer's name was on any of the other petitions.
Smith said what he had a problem with was police officers going around and picking up petitions just because they didn't like what was on the petitions.
Thomas said that because the officer's name was forged, the petition became part of a legal investigation.
