Opinion ID: 158744
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jack Davoll

Text: 14 Jack Davoll has spent almost all of his working life in law enforcement and served as a police officer with the DPD from March 1984 to July 1993. While working at the DPD, he performed well and received numerous commendations. In January 1991, a Jeep Cherokee involved in a high-speed chase struck the patrol car in which Mr. Davoll was riding. He sustained numerous injuries as a result of the accident. 15 Following the accident, Mr. Davoll participated in physical therapy in an effort to cure the injuries to his neck, back, and shoulder. The therapy helped him regain some of his strength but did not rehabilitate him enough to return to his position as a patrol officer. In fact, as a result of the accident Mr. Davoll suffers from degenerative disk disease, a permanent condition which causes him severe back pain. He has difficulty walking distances, especially on uneven terrain, cannot sit for more than two hours at a time, cannot stand for extended periods of time, and has difficulty bending or twisting. Dr. Kleen, his treating physician, testified that Mr. Davoll's condition is so sensitive he could be paralyzed were he to get into an altercation. Dr. Kleen therefore restricted him to light to medium-duty jobs. 16 After the accident, Mr. Davoll worked in various limited-duty positions in the DPD, such as desk clerk and juvenile intake clerk, and performed well. During 1992, Mr. Davoll learned that the DPD would likely try to force his retirement and he explored options that would allow him to stay employed in some capacity with the DPD. When Mr. Davoll worked at the juvenile intake desk, he asked his supervisor if he could remain in that position. His request was denied. Mr. Davoll also inquired about reassignment into a Career Service position but was told that was not possible. The DPD forced him to retire effective July 1993. 17 After his retirement, Mr. Davoll continued to look for employment both in and outside the city government. He applied for several jobs with the city and was found qualified for every position for which he tested including senior criminal investigator, staff probation officer, and code enforcement agent. However, he was not offered any of those jobs. Mr. Davoll took a job in security surveillance at a casino and a job at the Adams County jail, but he had to quit both because the walking caused him too much pain. He eventually found employment as an emergency dispatcher with Jefferson County Schools.