photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

A Douglas County Sheriff's Office vehicle is pictured in January 2022.

The Douglas County Commission has settled a lawsuit by a former sheriff’s deputy who claimed he was fired for his post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

The lawsuit was filed in September 2021 by former sheriff’s deputy Brad Clover and was resolved on May 12, after more than six hours of mediation between Clover and the County Commission, conducted by Eischens Mediation Services of Parkville, Missouri, according to court records.

“I estimate my damages through trial to exceed $1.6 million,” Clover said in an interview during the proceedings when he was asked to identify the types and amounts of damages he was seeking. He said he was seeking his back pay, future pay if he was not fired, family medical benefits, retirement benefits and his attorney fees, according to court records.

County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said the county settled with Clover for $120,000, which was paid by the county’s insurance provider, Travelers.

Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister told the Journal-World on Friday that he was aware of the lawsuit and settlement but that the sheriff’s office was not a part of the mediation beyond providing witnesses and evidence and that the county and its lawyers were responsible for the proceedings. Armbrister took office as sheriff in January 2021, after Clover was terminated in October 2020.

“While I oppose any settlement that does not align with what is right and true, there are times where it is more fiscally responsible to ‘settle’ a case than litigate it,” Armbrister said.

Since taking office, Armbrister said he has worked to create a system of support for deputies who may be experiencing symptoms of PTSD or are struggling with their duties.

“Our support system now in place within the Sheriff’s Office is unprecedented not only in this area, but I would say we are a leader nationwide,” Armbrister said.

Clover started working at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in 2003 and was a decorated officer who received the Valor Silver Award in 2016 — which is presented to first responders who encounter great personal risk and go above and beyond the call of duty.

As previously reported by the Journal-World, a year prior to his valor award Clover was involved in an incident where a domestic disturbance escalated into a standoff between a man and sheriff’s deputies on Aug. 2, 2015.

Deputies found a partially clothed woman walking near Lone Star Lake after a dispute with her boyfriend. Deputies accompanied the woman to the home of John B. Crawford, of Lawrence, to retrieve her cellphone and a few belongings, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office at the time. Crawford allowed the woman in, but became agitated as she looked for her phone and tried to slam the door on deputies. When Clover blocked the door from shutting, Crawford pulled a handgun from behind his back and pointed it at Clover.

“I felt like I was going to die. I felt like my wife and my children were never going to see their husband or father again,” Clover said at Crawford’s sentencing hearing in October of 2017.

“Mr. Crawford made me make the decision on whether or not I was going to take someone’s life,” Clover said.

Clover said he was a fraction of a second from doing that.

He said he pulled his gun, pointed it at Crawford and began to pull the trigger when he spotted Crawford’s girlfriend coming in between the two men, and he stopped.

Crawford tried to run, then physically fought Clover and another deputy before being taken into custody.

A jury convicted Crawford of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and interference with law enforcement in July of 2017.

Judge Paula Martin sentenced Crawford to 20 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He was ordered to register as a violent offender for 15 years.

According to documents filed by Clover’s attorney, Andrew J. Goodwin of Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC, of Kansas City, Missouri, Clover began reporting symptoms of PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder to his supervising officers shortly after the August 2015 incident.

“Clover’s conditions limit his ability to sleep, concentrate, think and read, and generally limit his brain and neurological function. Clover’s conditions cause memory issues, organizational issues, time management issues, stress and emotional issues, and coworker interaction issues. Clover’s conditions constitute disabilities under the ADA,” according to the claim.

Between 2015 and 2020, Clover reported his disabilities to eight supervising officers, but those officers did not try to investigate further into Clover’s claims and one told him he was “making excuses,” according to the claim.

Clover reported his symptoms to his supervisor one last time on Aug. 12, 2020, and within 24 hours of his report he was reassigned from patrol duty to court security and then placed on administrative leave. Later that month he spoke with the human resources officer and told them that he felt retaliated against for his disability and asked for accommodations to get counseling so that he could “move on,” according to the claim.

In October of 2020, he was terminated from the sheriff’s office for violating “general ethics policy and other general policies and procedures,” according to the complaint. Clover repeated his complaints of discrimination and retaliation at a grievance hearing on Oct. 21, 2020, but nothing was done at that time to resolve the grievance, according to the claim.

Clover filed a discrimination claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in November of 2020 and was later granted the right to sue.