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Police feud still on Council agenda

By JONATHAN ABEL
Published January 11, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Three days after a wild meeting that led to three suspensions and a resignation, the Brooksville City Council will try it again.

Council members will assemble today at 7 p.m. in a special meeting to discuss how best to investigate the Brooksville Police Department.

Monday night, the City Council voted 3-2 to ask the Hernando Sheriff's Office to investigate criminal wrongdoing at the Police Department. But then on Tuesday, Sheriff Richard Nugent said he didn't want to do that.

Instead, Nugent told Brooksville Mayor David Pugh Jr. that, if the city wanted, it could get the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to pursue a criminal investigation.

Or, Nugent said, the City Council could get an unbiased third party to do an internal investigation.

Wednesday, Nugent gave the names of three retired police officers - one from the city of Hallandale in Broward County and two from Tampa - who would be willing to conduct the investigation for the city.

Monday night's meeting started off with City Manager Richard Anderson's resignation and ended with the suspension of police Chief Ed Tincher, police Lt. Rick Hankins and Human Resources Director Ron Baker.

The three have been involved in a running feud dating back to August, when Baker was arrested and charged with giving Xanax to a co-worker.

The charges have since been dropped and Baker has maintained that he was arrested because he clashed with the police chief.

Over the last week, the feud has bubbled to the surface again, and Monday, the council decided it had seen enough.

Jonathan Abel can be reached at jabel@sptimes.com or 352 754-6114.

[Last modified January 10, 2007, 20:40:22]