Officer’s firing unanimously upheld
Peck plans to appeal grievance committee's decision to city manager
A city-employee grievance committee Tuesday upheld Lawrence Police Chief Ron Olin’s decision to fire Police Officer Stuart “Mike” Peck.
The five-member committee’s decision was unanimous.
“Basically, the way it was explained to me was the decision was based on the judge’s ruling and the effect that had on my credibility,” Peck said in a telephone interview after the decision was announced. “With that in mind, they sided with the department.”
The grievance committee was formed to hear Peck’s appeal. But personnel matters are confidential and not subject to public disclosure. The identities of grievance committee members are not made public. The committee met most of the day before reaching its decision. It did so after hearing arguments from Peck and Olin.
In January, Douglas County District Judge Michael Malone ruled Peck had misled the court in applying for a warrant to search a suspected drug dealer’s residence. Malone ordered that the evidence gathered during the search be suppressed, causing prosecutors to dismiss the charges.
Peck, known for his willingness to go after drug dealers and users, argued he did not intentionally mislead the court.
Peck, 38, said he intended to appeal the committee’s decision to City Manager Mike Wildgen.
“That’s the next step,” he said. “I intend do everything I can within the system to clear my name.”
Asked if his plans included suing the Police Department, Peck replied: “I’m taking this one step at a time.”
Olin could not be reached for comment.
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