Fired officer testifies he did not see any abuse

At his arbitration hearing, St. Petersburg Officer David Sugar says his back was turned during the arrest.

By LEANORA MINAI

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 12, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police Officer David Sugar was standing a few feet away from the teenage suspect when a fellow officer allegedly choked and struck him.

But Sugar said at his arbitration hearing Wednesday that he had his back turned and did not see any excessive force.

"I didn't see him do it," Sugar said. "I could have told the chief whatever he wanted to hear, and I believe he wanted me to say I saw (officer) Ron Adams choking the victim."

But Police Chief Goliath Davis III, who fired Sugar in July after supervisors concluded he was covering up for Adams and saw more than he was willing to acknowledge, told the arbitrator he just wanted Sugar to tell the truth.

"It's contrary to a police officer's nature to just stand there," Davis said. "Sugar was either a coward or he was a liar. That's what came out of this case."

Sugar, 43, appealed the termination to the city's labor relations office, which found Sugar was distracted at the scene.

There was no evidence he lied and should get his job back, the city recommended.

Davis refused to give Sugar back his job, which brought the matter before arbitrator Robert Bressler.

Bressler listened to both sides for nearly nine hours Wednesday and asked the city a few times to cite specific lies Sugar told. Bressler will make a binding decision in six weeks.

Sugar's discipline surrounds the Jan. 21, 1999, arrest of a 16-year-old boy who rammed another officer's police cruiser with a stolen car.

The boy ran away, and Adams and other officers chased him to the top of a stairwell in St. Petersburg.

Lerric Boyd, an officer on the scene, reported Adams' behavior to supervisors. He said Adams choked the teenager then struck him after he was in handcuffs.

Other officers at the scene, including Sugar, could not corroborate Boyd's account.

Adams, who retired after 25 years on the police force but before his disciplinary hearing, acknowledged he dragged the boy down the steps, applied pressure below his ear and stepped on his shoulder to get him under control. But Adams denied hitting the boy.

Davis told the arbitrator Wednesday that he fired Sugar because Sugar changed aspects of his story four times during the 14-month investigation. Specifically, Davis said, Sugar went from saying he did not assist in the arrest to claiming during a re-enactment that he helped handcuff the suspect.

Sugar, a 10-year veteran, told the arbitrator that he did not consider holding the suspect's arm as taking an active role in the arrest and therefore, inadvertently left out that detail.

Davis added that given where Sugar stood during the incident, it was impossible for him not to see the alleged force.

Recent coverage

Police union, city argue case before mediator (December 6, 2000)

Chief conflicts (December 3, 2000)

The chief's bad call (August 18, 2000)

Officials reject firing of officer (August 9, 2000)

On chief's team, ego, temper are the stars (July 9, 2000)

Tempers rise over officer's firing (July 7, 2000)

Police chief declines to reinstate officer (August 16, 2000)

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