Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 10:27 a.m.
A police sergeant charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance and obstructing a law enforcement officer has been notified today that he will be placed on unpaid layoff status effective tomorrow pending the outcome of the criminal case.
As required by the Civil Service discipline process, an internal panel reviewed the felony rendering criminal assistance charge filed by the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office against John Gately. The committee unanimously recommended that Gately be placed on layoff status.
“These allegations are extremely disappointing and something we have zero tolerance for,” Spokane Mayor David Condon said.
According to City policy, “an employee who has been formally charged with a felony will be laid off pending court trial determination only if the alleged crime is so heinous as to offend the sensibilities of a reasonable person, there is a job connection, the City’s public relations would be adversely affected by retaining the employee on the job, or the employee’s presence on the job would be a disruptive factor in the work force.”
This Civil Service process is separate from the internal affairs process.
