UPD SGT SUSPENDED

UPD SGT SUSPENDED

About two weeks, the city of utica is seeking to fire a police officer it has suspended.

In this case, it's a sargent, who responded to a call as a supervisor.

Under scrutiny: his language and use of pepper spray.

Newschannel 2's joleen ferris reports.

Chief it started as a routine larceny call.

This woman wanted to report someone driving off in a car with her medication in it.

Then this man came up, wanting to report her for stealing his gold chain.

She went in the house to get the chain.

And it escalated from there.

She repeatedly yelled homophobic slurs at the officers.

Sgt.

Sam geddes, who responded to the call as a supervisor, yelled back nat 22:23 "shut the (&,, up" 25:54 "you aint gonna take &$,#, $(#(" she threw what appeared to be a bag of garbage from the second floor porch nat 23:03 "garbage!

Garbage!

Sgt.

Geddes got out pepper spray, aiming at the second floor porch, where the woman and three juveniles stood .

None .

None 28:28 "it's only to be used in defense in yourself or another.

From what we saw in the video, the best course of action would have been to drive away" 29:02 "it's not only the language he uses, but also, you expect him to de- escalate the situation; tone it down" sgt.

Sam geddes is a 19-year upd veteran, and former marine.

Is suspended and the city is seeking to fire him.

His 360 page personnel file, which is on the city's website, includes commendations for getting guns and drugs off the street.

A performance evaluation from february of this year is rated 'very good' 34:45 "it's just disappointing.

We're talkingaboe 's been a very od officer.it's " also in the sargent's file-the full report on the death of walter washingon.

Sgt.

Geddesshn while responding to a call in the city in 2005.

The district attorney determined it to be a justifiable use of deadly force and did not put the shooting to a grand jury.

The mayor's office says that in response to today's public announcement about sgt geddes suspension, several upd officers walked off their shifts today, and, called in sick for later shifts.

They say those officers will be disciplined.

The oneida county sheriff's department is helping with coverage in the city.

Stand up the most the city can do is suspend for 30 days without pay.

After that, sgt.

Geddes would be on paid admnistrative leave until a hearing by an outside hearin gofficer could take place to chief it started as