City of Everett Wins Arbitration – Firing of Officer Troy Meade is Upheld

Saying the arbitrator’s decision would stand on its own, the City of Everett today released the decision of the arbitrator in the firing of Everett Police Officer Troy Meade. My Everett News has received the entire testimony of the hearing and will be going thru it. For now, here is the conclusion reached by the arbitrator…

Conclusion: Officer Meade shot at a vehicle he believed was reversing in
his direction. Department policy prohibits shooting into a moving vehicle unless
there is no other reasonable means of protecting an officer or third party in
imminent threat of serious injury or death. Officer Meade did have a reasonable
alternative, i.e., protective cover readily available behind an adjacent SUV. By
failing to use that alternative, Meade violated applicable provisions of the EPD’s
Use of Deadly Force Policy and caused a civilian death that could have been
avoided.
I reach this conclusion with regret, because I respect the prior years of good
service that Officer Meade provided to the Department. The citizens of Everett
should as well. For some types of misconduct, Officer Meade’s long record of good
service would make termination too severe. However, there is insufficient reason
to believe that further training or experience would preclude Officer Meade from
using deadly force too precipitously in the future. Termination may seem overly
severe to the Grievant and his supporters, but Mr. Meservey suffered an even
more extreme sanction. The City had just cause to conclude that the Grievant
should no longer have the legal authority to use deadly force as one of its
commissioned officers. The grievance is therefore denied.
Everett Police Officers Association / City of Everett (Troy Meade Grievance)
Arbitrator’s Opinion and Award, p. 53
AWARD
After careful consideration of all oral and written arguments and evidence,
and for the reasons set forth in the foregoing Opinion, it is awarded that:
1. The City did have just cause to terminate Troy Meade. The
grievance is therefore denied.
Dated this 9th day of June, 2012 by
____________________________
Janet L. Gaunt