A Springfield police officer is being sued over a so-called “custody battle” involving a motorcycle — the city has to hire outside legal counsel to defend him.
Corporation Counsel Todd Greenburg said the officer, Jeff Barr, was called as a couple was breaking up and one was moving out of the other’s home.
“The police officer in the lawsuit said, and this is in the allegation, that the girlfriend had the right to take the motorcycle,” said Greenburg. “There was an issue over whether or not the plaintiff would be arrested if he obstructed that.”
Court documents say the girlfriend, Patricia Baskett, had a title to the motorcycle — which she sold to Barr four weeks later.
The city wants to hire attorney Ron Stone and spend no more than $100,000. Greenburg says his office can’t defend the suit due to a conflict of interest, though that specific conflict of interest wasn’t discussed in open session.