Opinion ID: 2171218
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence to Support a Sanction of Termination.

Text: Appellant seeks to separately argue (a) the legal definition of misconduct; (b) the sufficiency of the evidence to establish misconduct in any degree; and (c) whether, if misconduct was established, it was of sufficient magnitude to warrant his discharge from the police force. We choose to consider these issues together. At the outset, we are asked by appellant to establish the same definition for misconduct, as that term is employed in section 400.18, that we have used in our cases involving unemployment insurance benefits. We see no purpose in seeking a determination as to whether definitions which have been fashioned in connection with a clearly distinguishable area of the law provide any assistance in determining the standards of misconduct which give rise to sanctions under the civil service laws. We prefer to apply those standards set forth in our prior decisions interpreting section 400.18. In Sieg, 342 N.W.2d at 829 we said: Misconduct is necessarily a broad term. It includes relatively minor or innocuous behavior ... or more flagrant and injurious breaches of decorum such as that presented here. We also stated: Since peace officers are charged with a public trust, the public has every right to expect these officers to conduct themselves with good character, sobriety, judgment and discretion. Police departments are akin to paramilitary organizations, and discipline must be strictly enforced. In this case, misconduct is present and the real question narrows to whether it was detrimental to public service. (Citations omitted.) Id. The evidence in the present case establishes to our satisfaction that the following events occurred in the early morning hours of May 30, 1981. Officer Mahaffey and Officer Paul Barrows of the West Des Moines Police Department had arrested Erin Dalbey for assault in a residential area of West Des Moines. Dalbey broke loose before the officers could place him in the police car and fled through the neighborhood with the officers in pursuit. The Stanford family, consisting of a father, mother and their two sons, were watching television in their home in the neighborhood. Stanfords' neighbors, the Stearns, were on vacation, and the Stanfords had agreed to watch their house. The Stanfords heard the officers chasing Dalbey across the Stearns' yard. Doug Stanford, age 16, went into the Stanford yard to see what was going on. When Officer Barrows left the Stearns' yard and ran by him, Doug, being unable to discern that Barrows was a police officer, tackled him knocking Barrows to the ground. When the rest of the Stanford family then came into the yard, Officer Mahaffey arrived, drew his service revolver, and fired a shot into the air over Doug Stanford's head. Doug Stanford then dropped to the ground, was tackled by Officer Mahaffey, arrested and handcuffed. Attempts by other members of the Stanford family to explain the circumstances to Officer Mahaffey resulted in his directing threats and obscene language toward them. The evidence offered in the district court indicates that following its investigation of the foregoing incident, the internal affairs division of the West Des Moines Police Department recommended that Officer Mahaffey be discharged. That recommendation was based upon a finding that the method in which Officer Mahaffey used his firearm was a violation of the departmental rules and regulations governing firearm use. Violation of those departmental rules was the basis upon which the civil service commission predicated its order of discharge and was also the basis upon which Mahaffey's discharge was confirmed by the district court. Our review of the evidence convinces us that Officer Mahaffey's actions on May 30, 1981, did violate the departmental firearms policy in at least two particulars. First, the evidence is clear that the departmental rules do not permit the firing of warning shots under any circumstances, and Mahaffey had been so advised prior to the incident in question. Under Mahaffey's own characterization of this transaction in his report, the use which he made of his firearm was a warning shot. In addition, the departmental rules proscribe any discharge of firearms in the present circumstances unless an officer has first made a reasonable attempt to state his identity, which was not done in the present case, or the officer reasonably believes that such action is necessary to prevent death or serious injury. We find no basis on the present record for a reasonable belief on the part of Officer Mahaffey that a discharge of a firearm was necessary to prevent death or serious injury. Both Officer Mahaffey and Officer Barrows were, at the time and place in question, armed with mace, and a sap, and possessed a walkie talkie for use in requesting backup from a police dispatcher. Evidence was also offered in the district court that this was the second violation by Officer Mahaffey of the departmental rules concerning firearms. He had been warned following the first violation that subsequent breaches of the firearms policy could result in his discharge. Prior violations of rules may be considered in determining whether the cumulative effect of an officer's misconduct is sufficient to warrant discharge. See McCormack v. Civil Service Commission, 315 N.W.2d 855, 859 (Iowa Ct.App.1981). We are satisfied that the facts presented to the district court justify the sanction which was imposed in the present case.