Tulsa officer suspended after pub incident

[RecycleMichael]

Is this the same Mark Wollmershauser that resigned rather than be fired after beating up a drunk and loosing a more than a quarter million dollar police brutality lawsuit?
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=14&articleid=20100116_14_A13_Thecit850977

Is the FOP insane?

That was his father.

[rwarn17588]

That was his father.

Yikes.

Maybe the father's sins aren't visited on the son, but sometimes they are. Is such an applicant given a psych test to make sure he doesn't have his dad's bad tendencies?

[RecycleMichael]

I don't what happened to his father to make him behave so badly at that incident and tarnish his career.

I worked with him on many occasions and always thought he was a fine officer. He used to get litter bags from me and make kids caught drinking at a park pick up litter. He was the only officer I could normally get to do any investigation about illegal dumping.

The same thing happened to me when I was in high school and I always appreciated the method of teaching kids like me a lesson. 

[sgrizzle]

Back on topic, I'm pretty sure I saw the aforementioned officer heading into city hall earlier. I'm sure it was for an uncomfortable meeting.

[Conan71]

Back on topic, I'm pretty sure I saw the aforementioned officer heading into city hall earlier. I'm sure it was for an uncomfortable meeting.

Maybe the officer was just doing "research".  Just like Michael DelGiorno when he was kicked out of two casinos in one night.

[Hoss]

Maybe the officer was just doing "research".  Just like Michael DelGiorno when he was kicked out of two casinos in one night.

Harhar, I miss that dolt.  The most enjoyment I ever had at Drillers Stadium was one night when I had box tix from the company I worked at; he sat down about 10 seats in the same row and also got to throw out the first pitch that night.  I screamed at him after his pitch fell short "You throw like a gurrl, DelGiorno!".  He took it upon himself to leer at me the rest of the game after he got back to his seat.  I enjoyed every minute of it.

[patric]

Back on topic, I'm pretty sure I saw the aforementioned officer heading into city hall earlier. I'm sure it was for an uncomfortable meeting.

He's got lengthy priors.
Two months after joining the Sand Springs PD he shot a shoplifter point blank, using a controversial technique where a cop can grab the steering wheel of a car, claim he was dragged and in "fear for his life" and blast away.
After quietly leaving that job for TPD he quickly racked up a number of complaints, many from other officers.
In one complaint, TPD suspended him for 3 days for distribution of meth precursors.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=13&articleid=19980223_Ne_a6darul
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=060515_Ne_A1_Compl41189
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100210_11_0_ATulsa498466

[Nik]

Case #CF-2010-530 on OSCN in case anybody wanted to follow it. Also looks like somebody file a protective order against him in August (PO-2009-391).

Pulling from one of the articles Patric posted above:

The officer with the highest number of complaints, Thomas Fees, had eight filed against him during the time studied, and three were sustained, records show. Fees, who has been on the force since 1998, declined to comment.

Fees was suspended without pay for two days last year after he left his patrol car unlocked and running in a police parking lot, records show. He was also "disrespectful and confrontational" to an official with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a department memo states.

Obviously a reason why seniority should not be the only thing considered when doing mass layoffs.

[Conan71]

Wasn't this the "cocaine cop"? 

"One officer, Travis Ludwig, has been disciplined twice this year for conduct unbecoming an officer and involvement in quarrels and disputes, records show. Ludwig was suspended for four days in January and two days in March.
Both cases involved Ludwig's relationship with the same woman. The woman's husband sued the city in February, claiming that Ludwig and another officer had affairs with his wife. The man, Shannon Coyle, claims that he was charged with various offenses after he filed an Internal Affairs complaint.
Ludwig's attorney, Scott Wood, has said his client had an "inappropriate relationship" with Coyle's wife but that it had nothing to do with the case against Coyle, which was later dismissed."

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=060515_Ne_A1_Compl41189

Yep, sure enough:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090924_11_A1_Tulsap419320

[TeeDub]

No wonder people think the police have it easy.


Fees will remain on paid administrative leave until the criminal case has been resolved, Capt. Jonathan Brooks said.

In cases where felony convictions occur, an officer could be terminated based on the conviction alone, he said.

Brooks said Fees is on paid administrative leave "because he is afforded due process." "If we suspend him without pay," he said, "we have circumvented procedural due process."


http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100210_11_0_ATulsa498466

[Hoss]

No wonder people think the police have it easy.


Fees will remain on paid administrative leave until the criminal case has been resolved, Capt. Jonathan Brooks said.

In cases where felony convictions occur, an officer could be terminated based on the conviction alone, he said.

Brooks said Fees is on paid administrative leave "because he is afforded due process." "If we suspend him without pay," he said, "we have circumvented procedural due process."


http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100210_11_0_ATulsa498466

Hmm...wonder what my employer would say if I broke a law that garnered my dismissal.  Would I get afforded 'administrative leave' and be paid for it?

Hell no.

[Conan71]

Okay, this is disturbing:

In April 2006, he was suspended for three days without pay for possessing and attempting to distribute pseudoephedrine on the Internet, the records show.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100210_11_0_ATulsa498466

Anyone think this was sufficient punishment?  How easily would an average citizen have gotten out of this if this had been a police sting operation?  Due process my a$$, I think we need to hold law enforcement to a high standard.

I can't believe he will remain on payroll until the criminal charges are resolved.  With a really good attorney, this could get continued for a year or longer.  Either that or he will plea down to misdemeanor and be back on the force.  He has no business carrying a firearm anymore and sure as hell doesn't have what it takes to be a stable LEO.

He needs to face "layoff".

[Breadburner]

Union.....It's that simple.....

[sgrizzle]

He was suspended for two days for walking away from his car with the engine running.

So yes, selling the primary component of crystal meth illegally over the internet to skirt state and federal laws.. is only slightly worse than leaving your car running.

[Conan71]

His divorce makes for interesting reading.  I can honestly say I can't recall a public defender being appointed for minors in a divorce.  As well there's a court-appointed therapist for the kids.  This guy is sounding more and more like a total nut.  The soon to be ex filed for an EPO on Monday.  Can't say I blame her.  Hmmm alimony to be paid from 40% of his future overtime earnings.  Sounds like she's SOL on that.  I didn't realize how dependent LEO's were on OT.

"FUNDERBURK, CARL: TEMPORARY ORDER HEARING HELD. SOLE CUSTODY TO PETITIONER, RESPONDENT TO HAVE FRIDAY VISITATIONS WITH BOTH CHILDREN FROM 5:00 PM TO 9:00 PM. RESPONDENT TO HAVE VISITATION WITH OLDEST CHILD TUES NIGHT AS WELL FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL. PUBLIC DEFENDER APPOINTED TO REPRESENT THE MINOR CHILDREN. CHILD SUPPORT TO BEGIN 9-1-2009 AND THE FIRST DAY OF EVERY MONTH. COUNSELING PAID PER GUIDELINES FOR CHILDREN BY BOTH PARTIES. 40% OF FUTURE OVERTIME PAYMENT RESPONDENT MAKES TO BE GIVEN TO PETITIONER FOR SUPPORT ALIMONY. APPRAISAL TO BE CONDUCTED OF MARITAL PROPERTY, RESPONDENT TO PAY 100%. FINAL ALLOCATION OF PAYMENT FOR APPRAISAL RESERVED. THE COURT'S MOTION TO SETTLE JOURNAL ENTRY SET 9-22-2009 AT 9:00 AM. PETITIONER REPRESENTED BY KELLY SMAKAL, BOTH PRESENT. RESPONDENT REPRESENTED BY KATHRYN HERWIG, BOTH PRESENT. BARBARA TIFFEE, COURT REPORTER."


http://www.oscn.net/applications/ocisweb/GetCaseInformation.asp?submitted=true&viewtype=caseGeneral&casemasterID=2239112&db=Tulsa