Opinion ID: 710223
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Morrison's History

Text: 4 Pretrial discovery made available numerous details as to Morrison's history as a police officer. Viewed in the light most favorable to Vann, the record showed that Morrison had been the subject of numerous complaints, lodged by both colleagues and civilians; that he had been disciplined several times, psychologically evaluated, and placed on restricted duty; and that he had been returned to active duty, following which he was involved in several additional incidents before assaulting Vann.
5 Morrison became a police officer in January 1982. Soon thereafter the Department began receiving complaints about his conduct toward the public. They included the following: 6 (1) July 16, 1982: a complaint alleged that Morrison, brandishing his gun, approached a group of teenagers and stated that when he found out who had broken his car window they were going to fall. This complaint was conciliated. 7 (2) August 20, 1982: a complaint alleged that Morrison, while off-duty, unjustly arrested, pushed, and kicked the complainant's brother. This complaint was withdrawn. 8 (3) October 22, 1982: a complaint alleged that after a driver honked his horn, Morrison called the driver a fucking Puerto Rican and dragged him out of the car. This complaint was conciliated. 9 (4) January 11, 1983: a complaint alleged that Morrison went to a residence and damaged the door. After investigation, this complaint was sustained, and Morrison was subjected to command discipline. 10 (5) April 6, 1983: a complaint alleged that Morrison, wearing civilian clothes, grabbed an individual and pulled him from his car, calling him an idiot. This complaint was conciliated. 11 (6) August 2, 1983: a complaint alleged that, while attempting to get an individual to leave a beach area, Morrison cursed at him, broke his eyeglasses, and destroyed other personal property. This complaint was conciliated. 12 (7) August 29, 1983: a complaint alleged that Morrison drove up to a parked vehicle and told the woman inside to move her vehicle the fuck away, calling her a black bitch. The disposition of this complaint is not revealed in the record. 13 (8) November 5, 1983: a complaint alleged that Morrison called an individual a Polack and beat and choked him. This complaint was conciliated; Morrison was advised that his ethnic remark was improper, that his complaint record was excessive, and that further complaints would be fully investigated. 14 (9) November 21, 1983: a complaint alleged that Morrison threatened an individual with a nightstick, pushed him, and said that if he opened his mouth Morrison would bust him across the face. This complaint was withdrawn. 15 In March 1984, in light of the numerous complaints, Morrison's then-precinct commander, Captain Anthony Lamattina, referred Morrison to the Department's Early Intervention Unit (EIU). One of EIU's functions was to encourage officers with personal problems to seek help before their problems affected their work performance. EIU interviewed Morrison, who repeatedly expressed the view that he was not accorded the proper respect. EIU concluded that Morrison had an attitude and that most of the civilian complaints against him stemmed from incidents that should not have occurred. Shortly after that interview, Morrison was the subject of yet another complaint. In the wake of the new complaint, whose details and resolution are not revealed in the record, Captain Lamattina referred Morrison to the Department's Psychological Services Unit (PSU). PSU, a unit of the Department's Health Services Division, was responsible for, inter alia, evaluating employees who were, or were suspected of, experiencing psychological problems; at the request of an officer's supervisor, PSU would evaluate the officer's psychological fitness for duty. 16 On April 6, 1984, PSU psychologist Dr. Arthur Knour commenced an interview of Morrison but suspended it because he did not have the details of the civilian complaints against Morrison. The interview was not resumed until April 30. In the meantime, on April 27, Morrison referred himself to PSU, stating in an interview with Detective Richard Kleiner and PSU psychologist Dr. Eloise Archibald that he was depressed because of a recent break-up with his girlfriend. He also stated that, when I get aggravated, I get easily ticked off, and then I get the civilian complaints. As a result, Morrison was officially relieved of his firearms and was placed on restricted duty pending psychological evaluation.
17 On April 30, 1984, Knour resumed his interview of Morrison. He found Morrison to be 18 a very rigid, defensive, somewhat passive-aggressive individual who had a great deal of difficulty adequately handling and expressing his feelings of anger and resentment and, as a result, his behavior could, on occasion, lead to the escalation of initially minor situations. 19 Morrison denied that he needed any individual therapy but agreed to couples counseling with his girlfriend. 20 Between May and July 13, 1984, Morrison, initially with his girlfriend and later individually, received counseling from Rozetta Wilmore-Schaeffer, M.S.W., a psychotherapist. In a July 13, 1984 interview with Knour, Morrison stated that he was no longer depressed and that he wanted to return to full duty. On July 20, 1984, Wilmore-Schaeffer reported that Morrison's depression had diminished and that there were no indications that Mr. Morrison might misuse his gun or lose control of his anger and hurt someone in other ways. 21 Morrison was not at that time returned to full-duty status, however, because of problems in his performance on his restricted-duty assignment, which was in the Department's Health Services Division. On August 1, 1984, Knour was asked to interview Morrison again because Morrison had repeatedly been late returning to work from his meal break and was having difficulty getting along with his coworkers. These complaints led to the referral of Morrison to psychiatrist Dr. Abe Pinsky for an independent evaluation. Dr. Pinsky found no signs of psychiatric illness and recommended that Morrison be returned to full-duty status with firearms. 22 Knour nonetheless did not recommend a return to full-duty status because Morrison continued to have conflicts with his coworkers. During the summer of 1984, three of Morrison's supervisors at the Health Services Division informed Knour that Morrison was a source of problems, failing to do his share of the work and not getting along with others, uniformed or civilian. For example, Morrison was involved in at least one physical conflict with a police aide. Knour stated that Morrison repeatedly denied the facts presented with respect to his conflicts and confrontations and that he refused to accept any responsibility for any of the incidents, usually blaming the other individuals involved. Noting that Morrison had initially been referred to PSU because of his full-duty conflicts with civilians, Knour observed that Morrison's confrontations had continued in the context of the non-stressful restricted-duty assignment, thereby rais[ing] questions about whether counseling had really been effective in bringing changes in this officer's mode of interaction with others and whether he could function without undue problems as a full duty police officer. 23 In December 1984, Morrison received a negative psychological evaluation. He was rated substandard in impartiality, human relations, communication skills, work analysis, self-image, stability/flexibility, police ethics, decisionmaking, and judgment. His supervisor also gave him a below-standard overall evaluation, noting Morrison's several altercations with his coworkers. 24 In January 1985, Morrison physically assaulted a female police aide. When the aide attempted to close a window that Morrison had opened, Morrison shoved her and put his hand to her neck. 25 In the meantime, in November 1984, departmental charges had been brought against Morrison for lateness, failure to comply with an order, and displays of discourtesy and disrespect toward a senior officer. In December 1985, Morrison was found guilty and was docked 30 days' vacation pay, ordered to cooperate in any programs PSU recommended for him, and placed on disciplinary probation from December 22, 1985, to December 21, 1986. The ruling also stated that any further violation of rules and regulations would entitle the Department to order Morrison's dismissal. 26 In February 1986, following approximately a year without any incident of which Knour was aware, Knour recommended that Morrison be restored to full-duty status with firearms. Knour noted that in 1985, Morrison had received positive evaluations from three supervisors. One stated that, after being the subject of disciplinary proceedings, disposition of which is pending, [Morrison] has done an about face and now is performing a vital role for this command. He deals with fellow officers in a manner that is without incident. His sick record for this year is exceptional and [he] appears motivated to advance in this department. Knour expressed surprise at the favorable evaluations in light of Morrison's earlier attitude and behavior, but he concluded that Morrison apparently had changed as a result of administrative sanctions. Knour concluded that, although Morrison has always been somewhat rigid, and it is possible that back on the street his rigidity might reassert itself, ... he deserves a chance.... Knour ended his February 1986 report by noting that Morrison was still on probation and stating that should new problems surface he could be administratively terminated. 27 In March 1986, Dr. Archibald, who was by then the Director of PSU, endorsed Knour's recommendation that Morrison be restored to full-duty status with firearms. Archibald also [c]oncur[red] with Dr. Knour's recommendation ... that future problems be handled administratively. After making her recommendation, Archibald sought the opinion of then-precinct commander Captain Arthur C. Woods. Captain Woods, based on conversations with Morrison's direct supervisors and on the numerous civilian and supervisory complaints, recommended that Morrison not be restored to full-duty status. Woods stated that Morrison was not well able to deal with the general public or his supervisors and that he was immature and violent-prone.
28 Notwithstanding Woods's recommendation, Morrison's firearms were returned to him on May 28, 1986, and he was reinstated to full-duty status on June 6, 1986. He was assigned a patrol function, which placed him in direct contact with the public. 29 Less than two months later, on August 3, 1986, a civilian complaint was filed with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), alleging that Morrison had unnecessarily used force, injuring a civilian by ramming him in the stomach with a nightstick. The complaint was eventually withdrawn. 30 One week later, another civilian complaint was filed with the CCRB, alleging that Morrison had verbally abused, and unnecessarily threatened, the complainant, saying that he was going to beat the shit out of him. The complaint was conciliated. 31 Morrison's disciplinary probation ended in December 1986. On April 13, 1987, he was the subject of another civilian complaint filed with the CCRB. The complaint alleged that, while off duty and driving a vehicle, Morrison had become involved in an altercation with another driver and the driver's wife, during which Morrison assaulted, menaced, and pointed his gun at the complainant. In the wake of this complaint, Morrison was placed on modified assignment and prohibited from carrying firearms. On August 17, 1987, he was returned to full-duty status with firearms, an investigation having resulted in the conclusion that the complaint was unsubstantiated. 32 On February 1, 1988, Morrison assaulted Vann. 33