Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Police Board announces it will have a decision in Salva case by the end of May.

Police officials late Monday announced they expect a decision by the end of the month on the fate of two officers fired that ignored the pleas of a woman who claimed she was pregnant.

Last month officers Kevin Schnell and Melody Spencer went before the Police Citizens Advisory Board asking to be reinstated after Chief Jim Corwin fired them both last year for what he said was their "disregard for department policy."

In Feb. 2006 Schnell and Spencer pulled over Sophia Salva after witnessing her place a fake temporary tag in her car window. When they began to ask her questions and search her car, Salva claimed she was bleeding and asked for an ambulance.

Schnell and Spencer, according to the portion of the police dash camera video released to the media, ignored Salva and proceeded to arrest her and take her in to custody. Schnell and Spencer, at their hearing last month, said they thought, given Salva's previous record that she was lying to avoid going to jail - again. Schnell and Spencer in their testimony even pointed out that jail officials did nothing to help her after her arrival at the jail.

The case was not made public until last year when Corwin, during a press conference, lambasted the two officers for their misconduct and then fired them the next day.

The board will determine whether Corwin made the right decision or if the officers should be reinstated.

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