Spring Break
Faculty Rights meets with UPD
Andrew Herndon
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: News
No resolution was met in an April 7 grievance meeting between dance instructor Heather Cooper and representatives from Faculty Rights, Faculty Affairs and the University Police Department. The meeting was held to discuss compensation for medical expenses incurred in an alleged altercation between Cooper and a UPD officer.
Jonathan Karpf, a Faculty Rights committee member, and Cooper sat down with Brad Davis, assistant associate vice president of Faculty Affairs, in an effort to resolve a recent dispute between Cooper and Sgt. John Laws, Karpf said.
Previously, an informal meeting involving Karpf, Cooper, Davis and UPD Chief Andre Barnes occurred April 2, Karpf said.
Karpf said he considered both meetings unsatisfactory.
Barnes and Davis informed him that there couldn't be a settlement between Cooper and the university until an internal investigation was performed, Karpf said.
Cooper was supposedly involved in a quarrel with Laws on Feb. 19, which led to injuries allegedly caused by the officer.
Cooper said Laws came behind her and grabbed her by the neck with his forearm when she attempted to recover her child safety seats during an argument over expired vehicle registration tags as her vehicle was to be towed.
Laws maintained that he was detaining her for "resisting and delaying a police officer" - a charge that was later dropped - when she attempted to approach the tow truck driver.
After reviewing the evidence involving Cooper and Laws, and discussing the situation with administration members, SJSU media relations specialist Pat Lopes Harris said the officers were correct in their actions.
"We believe the officers involved acted appropriately based on the evidence," Harris said.
A personnel complaint form was turned in by Cooper on April 15. The form is the first step in leading to an internal investigation of the incident, Sgt. Michael Santos said.
After the form is filled out and deemed a valid complaint by the administrative division commander, the investigation is then assigned and conducted by one of three detectives, Santos said.
"We have a one-month investigation period," Santos said. "If it goes beyond one month, we have to ask for an extension. Usually that involves not being able to schedule people."
Department officers, who are not a third party, will conduct the investigation, Santos said.
Only in extreme circumstances, such as a shooting, will an outside agency may be called in to perform an investigation, but it is usually officers from the same department, Santos said.
"I can't think of any agency that allows other agencies to investigate their own officers," Santos said.
Since no resolution was met at the Level 1 grievance meeting with Davis, Level 2 involves a request for the case to be heard before the Faculty Hearing Committee, Karpf said.
That request was made April 24, Karpf said.
Jonathan Karpf, a Faculty Rights committee member, and Cooper sat down with Brad Davis, assistant associate vice president of Faculty Affairs, in an effort to resolve a recent dispute between Cooper and Sgt. John Laws, Karpf said.
Previously, an informal meeting involving Karpf, Cooper, Davis and UPD Chief Andre Barnes occurred April 2, Karpf said.
Karpf said he considered both meetings unsatisfactory.
Barnes and Davis informed him that there couldn't be a settlement between Cooper and the university until an internal investigation was performed, Karpf said.
Cooper was supposedly involved in a quarrel with Laws on Feb. 19, which led to injuries allegedly caused by the officer.
Cooper said Laws came behind her and grabbed her by the neck with his forearm when she attempted to recover her child safety seats during an argument over expired vehicle registration tags as her vehicle was to be towed.
Laws maintained that he was detaining her for "resisting and delaying a police officer" - a charge that was later dropped - when she attempted to approach the tow truck driver.
After reviewing the evidence involving Cooper and Laws, and discussing the situation with administration members, SJSU media relations specialist Pat Lopes Harris said the officers were correct in their actions.
"We believe the officers involved acted appropriately based on the evidence," Harris said.
A personnel complaint form was turned in by Cooper on April 15. The form is the first step in leading to an internal investigation of the incident, Sgt. Michael Santos said.
After the form is filled out and deemed a valid complaint by the administrative division commander, the investigation is then assigned and conducted by one of three detectives, Santos said.
"We have a one-month investigation period," Santos said. "If it goes beyond one month, we have to ask for an extension. Usually that involves not being able to schedule people."
Department officers, who are not a third party, will conduct the investigation, Santos said.
Only in extreme circumstances, such as a shooting, will an outside agency may be called in to perform an investigation, but it is usually officers from the same department, Santos said.
"I can't think of any agency that allows other agencies to investigate their own officers," Santos said.
Since no resolution was met at the Level 1 grievance meeting with Davis, Level 2 involves a request for the case to be heard before the Faculty Hearing Committee, Karpf said.
That request was made April 24, Karpf said.
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