POST Council clears LPD officer Fuentes of alleged misconduct
LEWISTON, ID - A Lewiston Police Officer is not going to be decertified after a decision made by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council.
We bring you team coverage tonight with our sister station KBOI to get reaction to the decision regarding Officer Rick Fuentes.
"'Those in favor of the motion?' (council unanimously says) 'Aye.' 'It's been moved and seconded, motion has passed to not decertify Officer Fuentes," said POST.
It's been a long process but in a unanimous decision Thursday by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council in Meridian, with one member abstaining. Officer Rick Fuentes won his appeal and will not be decertified. The possibility of decertification came about after an incident in October of 2010 involving another female officer. The alleged misconduct included unwarranted sexual acts with a female police department employee performed in an elevator."
"He's an officer in good standing," said Attorney Joe Filicetti.
Fuentes' attorney Joe Filicetti filed the appeal in regard to an initial investigation by a POST hearing officer who recommended Officer Fuentes for certification. Lewiston Police Department Chief Steve Orr said he reprimanded Fuentes after their internal investigation conducted by LPD and is happy that the POST Council chose not to vote in favor of the recommendation.
"The actions of the Lewiston Police Department were validated today with the POST Council's decision not to decertify Officer Fuentes," said Orr.
Filicetti said he believes the decision made Thursday will affect future investigations for POST.
"So I think what's going to happen is you're going to see a broad sweeping reforms of how POST investigates officers when they're accused of some type of wrongdoing," said Filicetti.
Orr said Fuentes is working full time at the Lewiston Police Department as an officer. The POST Council has also made a decision to allow the heads of various law enforcement agencies like Chief Orr at LPD to have more say in regard to recommendations for decertification in the future.
We bring you team coverage tonight with our sister station KBOI to get reaction to the decision regarding Officer Rick Fuentes.
"'Those in favor of the motion?' (council unanimously says) 'Aye.' 'It's been moved and seconded, motion has passed to not decertify Officer Fuentes," said POST.
It's been a long process but in a unanimous decision Thursday by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council in Meridian, with one member abstaining. Officer Rick Fuentes won his appeal and will not be decertified. The possibility of decertification came about after an incident in October of 2010 involving another female officer. The alleged misconduct included unwarranted sexual acts with a female police department employee performed in an elevator."
"He's an officer in good standing," said Attorney Joe Filicetti.
Fuentes' attorney Joe Filicetti filed the appeal in regard to an initial investigation by a POST hearing officer who recommended Officer Fuentes for certification. Lewiston Police Department Chief Steve Orr said he reprimanded Fuentes after their internal investigation conducted by LPD and is happy that the POST Council chose not to vote in favor of the recommendation.
"The actions of the Lewiston Police Department were validated today with the POST Council's decision not to decertify Officer Fuentes," said Orr.
Filicetti said he believes the decision made Thursday will affect future investigations for POST.
"So I think what's going to happen is you're going to see a broad sweeping reforms of how POST investigates officers when they're accused of some type of wrongdoing," said Filicetti.
Orr said Fuentes is working full time at the Lewiston Police Department as an officer. The POST Council has also made a decision to allow the heads of various law enforcement agencies like Chief Orr at LPD to have more say in regard to recommendations for decertification in the future.
This is bull! they fire a cop for voicing his opinion on Facebook! whatever happen to freedom of speech?
And this low life get's to keep his job after sexually harassing a gal in the elevator! really! how did he pass his physical? I think he is the same cop that let my neighbor threaten to kill me or have some of his friend's beat me up and just stood there and told him to do it on his day off! I have it on video! well all the cop's in this valley are crooked as far as I am concerned, they let a guy steal my VW rabbit off my property, Travis Chamberlain, then the cops told him to give it back, he then switched the Vin # with another VW he had and re licensed it and sold it to a girl that works at KFC, you can see the car there parked in the lot, they didn't even paint it! left front fender is white/ faded green paint. the kid told me his friend mistakenly had my car crushed! the cop's told me It was a civil issue and I would Have to take him to court!
can you believe it! Idaho state patrol would not investigate, Washington state patrol referred me back to Assotin, they all just gave me the run around while the thief get's away Scott free, the girl drives around in a stolen car (federal offense).
and that's how the keystone cops operate in our little valley! they have cost me thousand's of dollars for not doing there job's and wrongfully accusing me of thing's I did not do, they also let the same neighbor commit purger y ah
enough said.
they should have fired him and not the volunteer police officer!