The former Greenwood officer reacts to judge the ruling in favor of the city in federal lawsuit

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Greenwood – A judge has put himself on the side of the city of Greenwood in the federal lawsuit of a former police officer against the police chief alleging that the chief repaired against He because he criticized the boss on Facebook.

In August 2023, WRTV reported that Sam Bowen filed the lawsuit claiming that Chief Jim Ison “illegally retaliates” against him due to Facebook publications.

Provided

On February 20, federal judge Richard Young granted the motion of the city of Greenwood for summary trial in Bowen’s lawsuit.

“Police departments depend on the respect and trust of the community to function effectively,” Judge Young wrote in his decision. “By calling Ison a liar and accusing the GPD of hiding public information, Bowen committed the trust of the community in his police officers, regardless of whether his positions identified him as a police officer.”

The city issued a statement after the judge’s decision.

“Bowen’s demand had no merit, and the city is grateful that its taxpayers do not support the expenses of a trial,” said the statement of the city of Greenwood.

Bowen’s lawyer, Jay Meisenhelder, published the following statement in response to the judge’s decision:

“Both Mr. Bowen and I are disappointed by what we believe is the incorrect decision of Judge Young. Taken to its final conclusion, the decision says that the need for a police department to “foster loyalty and obedience to senior officers” always Cancel the rights of expression of individual police officers.

That is a dangerous precedent. When police chiefs and other high -ranking law agents are dedicated to inappropriate or illegal conduct, individual officers of the organization are often people with the best opportunity, and the greatest credibility, to bring to light the light embezzlement of his superior. This decision will cause good police to think long and difficult to expose embezzlement and corruption in their organization. “

Forest Brad

Bowen was fired by the police merit commission.

As WRTV investigates for the first time in 2023, Chief Ison moved to end five officers for exchange instant messages that “contained, blasphemies, sexually explicit content, disrespectful/explicit comments on supervisors and racial and religious pejorative comments.”

The disciplinary documents obtained by WRTV say that messages used derogatory language to describe African Americans, homosexuals and Jews.

Four of the five officers resigned.

Bowen commented in Greenwood’s Facebook talk groups about the crime rate, and criticized the Greenwood police chief, James Ison and Mayor Mark Myers, who was running for re -election.

Kenney, Kara

• “None of them cares. They are too worried about monitoring their police and the moral of the tank in the department, “Bowen’s comment wrote on Facebook.
• “I would like the police department to be more transparent and publish what is really happening all the time,” Bowen said on Facebook. “Unfortunately, Chief Ison tries to sweep most things under the carpet.”

Bowen commented on a publication in Greenwood Indiana Crime Tracker about an alleged incident in which a man stole a U-Haul, led firing a gun through the window and crashed into a building.

• “I think that something you should ask yourself is why the Greenwood Police Department has not issued any statement about this. Or why they never notify the public about anything, unless he is hiring 12 new officers just before an election so that the mayor looks good, ”said Bowen.

Bowen said he was not identified on his own Facebook page as GPD officer.

“I was at home, publishing from my own devices, not in uniform,” Bowen said in 2023. “I never identified myself as a police officer.”

WRTV investigates: “Can some say that you are a Greenwood police officer and your words represent the department?”
Ring: I agree if I am in uniform, working as a police officer.

“Ison made Bowen clear that the reason for the actions was Bowen’s participation in Facebook exchanges of Myers and Ison critics,” said the demand.

The lawsuit also claimed that the boss violated his rights of the first amendment.

“Bowen’s right to speak, as a private citizen, on matters of public concern, is guaranteed by the first amendment,” said the demand.

“My speech is protected as a right of the first amendment,” Bowen said. “The fact that the action is being taken against me for this protected speech is clearly a violation of the first amendment. I am speaking as a private citizen about a public concern.”

Bowen said things took an unexpected turn after submitting the demand.

The city obtained all its instant messages that Bowen had exchanged with other officers of his work computer.

The Ison chief recommended Bowen and four other officers to be supposedly fired depending on what was in those instant messages, read the demand.

Vic Ryckaert/WRTV

“The only officer whose IMS was obtained by the boss was officer Bowen,” said Jay Meisenhelder, Bowen’s lawyer. “It’s not as if they came out and found everyone else for the other officers. I think (the other officers) are collateral damage.”

WRTV investigates Bowen: “Can you tell us what was in those messages that worried the boss?”
Lawyer: “We do not want to talk about the content of the messages before the merit audience.”

Disciplinary documents obtained by WRTV on Tuesday, according to officer Bowen, used derogatory language to describe African Americans, homosexuals and Jews.

Here are some examples listed in the documents:

In 03/27/23/23 Bowen Officer Call Hagist’s officer as “Hannukah’s loving fag,” said the disciplinary document. “On 15/5/23, officer Bowen tells officer Hagist, ‘You are terribly Jewish tonight. 23/23/23 Bowen official He commented: “The delay of fat in Popeyes did not give me my sauce, so now I have to eat my dry chicken AF.” Officer Hennig replied: “Attract 13% of you.” The officer Bowen replied: “He wanted to enjoy what it is to be a cane for dinner.”

Disciplinary documents show that officers Elijah Allen and Jacob Hagist are also accused of using insults in their instant messages, including derogatory language for homosexual people.

In 07/09/22 Officer Elijah Allen He commented: ‘Fags’. This was aimed at his companions on duty, ”reads the documents. 05/03/23 Jacob Hagist official He sent an instant message to the officer Samuel Bowen who said: ‘Maricón’. The officer Bowen replied: ‘Bitch Ass’ “, reads in the documents.

Bowen said the demand is not about recovering his work, although he would like to remain in surveillance.

“For me it is about improving the police department,” Bowen said.