11/05/09 - Gibson County

By: Jonquil Newland
jnewland@wbbjtv.com
10:15 p.m.

In just more than a year's time, five former Medina police officers have filed suit against the City of Medina. Now, former Police Chief Jerry Morris is coming forward with his own complaints, claiming Medina Mayor Vance Coleman forced him to resign after he refused to lie for the city.
 
Disputes within and between the Medina Police Department and the city began last August. "Mr. Morris was actually named as a defendant in a lawsuit by one of his officers, Captain Jeff Luther," said Michael Weinman, Morris' attorney.
 
Weinman said, while preparing for that lawsuit, Mayor Coleman indicated Morris made the decision to demote Luther. But the former chief claims that was a lie. "He later called his attorneys and told them he would not lie for the city, and that he was not the one who made the decision, that it was the mayor who made these decisions," said Weinman.
 
"It's hard for me to comment that much on that," said Medina City Attorney Michael Hill. "But certainly, I do not believe anybody would have told him to do anything other than tell the truth."
 
In the lawsuit, Morris alleges after that incident, Mayor Coleman refused to have any direct contact with him, and began stripping him of his police chief duties. "[He] hired an assistant chief without talking to the chief, who then began to actually run the department, and eventually the chief was forced to leave," said Weinman.
 
Morris believes he was forced to resign, but the city argues differently. "We kind of think preliminarily, the facts will not bare that out. But of course we are early in the lawsuit," said Hill.
 
Capt. Luther's lawsuit was settled in May for $72,000. At this time, it is unclear what damages Morris is seeking. Hill said the city will have a chance to respond in federal court to Morris' claims before the suit moves forward.