Cop Says He Was Fired For Reporting Police Dog Attack

Ethics

The City of Hernando, Miss., illegally fired a police officer for testifying truthfully about another officer's use of unreasonable force - letting a police dog attack and bite a citizen who already was in custody - Steven English claims in Federal Court.

English says he saw a fellow officer unreasonably sic a dog on Lawson Rhoda in November 2004, after Rhoda was in custody. English says he reported the attack to his supervisor, "who instructed Plaintiff to keep his opinions to himself."

"Because supervisor Gray had instructed plaintiff to keep his opinion to himself, and because plaintiff knew that he would be fired if he disobeyed his supervisor's instruction by reporting the use of unreasonable force, plaintiff did not initially report the use of unreasonable force. Instead, plaintiff filed a police report which omitted any discussion of the dog's attack upon the suspect," the complaint states. English says his police report was accurate, but omitted mention of the dog attack. "To report this attack would have been a direct disobedience of the supervisor's instructions. However, in keeping with his duty as a citizen, plaintiff kept a complete record of the incident so that his memory would be fresh if he were asked about the incident in the future, and so that he could give an accurate statement about what occurred."

In 2007, Rhoda sued the city alleging unreasonable force. English says the city's insurance company and police chief, "Riley," questioned him about the incident, and he "truthfully answered their questions and truthfully described the criminal assault he had witnessed."

The city suspended and then fired him in retaliation, English says, on the bogus grounds that "he had not truthfully reported the use of excessive force in his police report."

He demands monetary damages. He is represented by Jim Waide of Tupelo.

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USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.

TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.

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