The Springfield City Council will allow a police officer facing a lawsuit to continue to be represented by an attorney of his choice — but not everyone is on board with it.
The city says it has a legal obligation to defend its officer in the suit, which claims he helped illegally seize a motorcycle during a bad relationship breakup. But a heckler interrupted the meeting several times to state the contrary, noting the law says “may” and not “shall.”
“He didn’t indicate where he got his law license,” Houston said after the meeting. “In this particular case, in dealing with that particular state statute, [Corporation Counsel Todd Greenburg] also pointed to two other laws that require us to do this.”
The original ordinance would have paid Ron Stone up to $100,000, but it instead agreed to pay $25,000 as money allocated in an existing deal is about to run out. The total paid would now be $50,000.
The officer, Jeff Barr, is accused of using his police power to illegally seize a motorcycle at the center of a bad breakup. The other defendant in the case, Patricia Baskett, reportedly presented proof of registration from the Secretary of State’s Office before Barr helped seize the bike.
Barr then purchased the motorcycle several weeks later.
The city’s corporation counsel says it can’t defend Barr due to a conflict of interest. Barr requested Stone, who also represents the city’s police union in litigation.