Sgt. Eugene Hlavac Fired From Pittsburgh Police Dept.

UPDATE: via Sue:

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Update on Pgh Police Domestic Violence (Hlavac) Story

The Good News:

An order of protection has been approved against Sgt. Eugene Hlavac. Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kathryn Hens-Greco signed the order which includes instructions for Hlavac to "give up all his firearms, including his duty weapon." (P-G)


The Bad News:

Lil Mayor Luke punks out on the calls for him to reassure Pittsburgh women that the Pittsburgh Police take domestic violence seriously. (Trib)
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ACTION ALERT: Pgh Police & Domestic Violence

Like me, I'm know that many of you are very busy right now with the holidays, but please, please, please take a moment to make a call or send an email:

As you may have read in the papers recently [or on this blog], a member of the Police Department, who had a past record of violence against women, has recently had charges brought against him once again, this time for dislocating his ex-girlfriend’s jaw. Because the officer in question was wearing his uniform at the time of the incident, and because we as a community worked together to secure pledges from the Mayor’s office two years ago to develop a zero tolerance policy and culture regarding domestic violence on the force for the city of Pittsburgh, we need your help!

The holidays can be a very wonderful, but also very stressful time. With this recent incident in the papers we feel it is crucial that women hear from the Mayor and Director of Public Safety of the City of Pittsburgh Michael Huss that Domestic Violence is a crime that the Mayor and Pittsburgh Police take very seriously so that no woman will hesitate to call the Police if she needs help.

Please take a minute today and email or call Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s office (email: luke.ravenstahl@city.pittsburgh.pa.us , phone: 412-255-2626) with the suggested following message [or of course, write your own!]:

Subject line: Mayor Ravenstahl Your Leadership is Needed

Dear Mayor Ravenstahl,

As a member of the Pittsburgh, community, and coalition to end domestic violence, I ask that you take immediate action to hold a televised press conference, with Director Huss, to make a public statement that Domestic Violence is a crime that the Mayor and Pittsburgh Police take very seriously. This statement should reassure everyone – especially women - that victims of domestic violence can and should always feel comfortable reaching out to the city of Pittsburgh Police for help, and that every Domestic Violence call will be responded to promptly, and with the respect and seriousness it deserves. Your comments should reaffirm that victims will be connected with immediate help and services and that violent perpetrators who commit Domestic Violence will be removed from the scene of the crime and brought to justice.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME HERE

Please email or call Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s office and let him know that you, as a member of the Pittsburgh, community, ask that he and Director Huss hold a televised press conference to make a public statement to this effect to ensure that women of Pittsburgh can feel safe.

Email: luke.ravenstahl@city.pittsburgh.pa.us Phone: 412-255-2626

Thank you,
The Coalition to End Domestic Violence in SWPA
(Member organizations of this coalition include, but are not limited to: National Organization for Women, National Council of Jewish Women, Women and Girls Foundation, FISA Foundation, Regional Equity Monitoring Project, Agh County Commission for Women, Women’s Center and Shelter, Center for Victims of Violent Crime and Executive Women’s Council of Greater Pittsburgh.)

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NOTE: And, if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence -- in addition to reporting this to the police -- you can receive assistance from The Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. They provide a 24-hour crisis hotline, temporary shelter, counseling and support groups, advocacy and support services for women victims of domestic violence and their children. You can call their 24-hour Hotline at 412-687-8005 or toll free at 877-338-TALK (8255) for help or more information.
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Here We Go Again -- Pittsburgh Police and Domestic Violence

Pittsburgh Police Sgt. Eugene Hlavac

"He will enjoy a wonderful Christmas dinner. She's going to drink hers through a straw..."
...... - Jeanne Clarke, National Organization for Women, after Sgt. Eugene Hlavac's preliminary hearing in downtown Municipal Court.

If Hlavac's name sounds familiar it's because many of you may recall the controversy which erupted back in June 2007 when three Pittsburgh City Police Officers (Cmdr. George T. Trosky, Lt. Charles Rodriguez, and Sgt. Eugene F. Hlavac) who had a history of domestic abuse run-ins were promoted by Police Chief Nate Harper with the approval of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. The uproar from the promotions (mostly by advocates for women) led to Pittsburgh City Council passing legislation on domestic violence by police officers.

When Hlavac was originally promoted in 2007 he had had police called to his home for reports of loud arguments with the mother of his child, Lauren Noel Maughan. On Saturday he was charged with aggravated assault against Maughan:

According to the complaint, Ms. Maughan was late to pick up their son at Sgt. Hlavac's house in Greenfield Friday after her car broke down. When she arrived, she said she and Sgt. Hlavac, who was in uniform and preparing to leave for work, began arguing in front of his house, the complaint states. She said they scuffled briefly after he slapped her and she grabbed him, the complaint states.

Ms. Maughan said she was in pain and threatened to call the police, the complaint said. She said he took her cell phone and told her, "You're not doing this. You're not ruining my life," according to the complaint.

She said she left to go to the hospital after telling Sgt. Hlavac she would say she hurt her face in a fall.

According to the complaint, Sgt. Hlavac met her at Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville and told a doctor, "She's always getting hurt, she fell down her steps and tripped and may have hit her wall." The doctor determined that Ms. Maughan had partially dislocated her jaw, according to the complaint.

According to WTAE:

An emergency room doctor didn't believe the story, and eventually, the woman told police her injury was caused by Hlavac.

As of yesterday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported:

Pittsburgh police officials have not determined whether to change a sergeant's work status following his weekend arrest for hitting his ex-girlfriend.

Apparently Hlavac is on vacation until January and "If there is discipline, he would be disciplined when he returned to work..."

Nice!

This does not seem to jib with Pennsylvania's Confidence in Law Enforcement Act which states:

23 Except in the case of a member of the Pennsylvania State
24 Police, a law enforcement officer charged with an offense that
25 would prohibit employment under section 3 shall be immediately
26 suspended from employment in law enforcement AS A LAW
27 ENFORCEMENT OFFICER until final disposition of the charge or
28 upon acceptance into a program of Accelerated Rehabilitative
29 Disposition, whichever occurs first.

What would constitute prohibition from employment? According to the City of Pittsburgh:

CRIMINAL HISTORY:
Conviction of a felony or serious misdemeanor is disqualifying unless applicant has been pardoned. Other behavior, which is incompatible with the duties and responsibilities of the position of Police Officer, may also be disqualifying.

Notice again, that suspension only requires being CHARGED and that the Confidence in Law Enforcement Act defines "serious misdemeanor" as being "A criminal offense for which more than one year in prison can be imposed as a punishment."

While Hlavac's charges were reduced today from aggravated assault (a felony) to simple assault (a misdemeanor), in PA a misdemeanor assault can still result in up to 2 years in prison.

So, I have to ask:

Why has Hlavac not been suspended?

Moreover, the legislation passed by Pittsburgh City Council states the following under "Supervisor Responsibilities":

(a) Supervisors shall be cognizant of and document any pattern of abusive behavior potentially indicative of domestic violence including, but not limited to the following:

i. Aggressiveness

a. Excessive and/or increased use of force on the job.
b. Stalking and inappropriate surveillance activities.
c. Unusually high incidences of physical altercations and verbal disputes.
d. Citizen and fellow officer complaints of unwarranted aggression and verbal abuse.
e. Inappropriate treatment of animals.
f. On-or off-duty officer injuries.

So between his promotion and his recent charges, has Hlavac had any, say, PROBLEMS like those listed above?

The answer is a big fat YES. From the Pittsburgh City Paper:

Hlavac has previously been faulted for his performance on the job as well: specifically, a series of arrests stemming from a 2006 bicyclist demonstration. When the city's police review board tried to question him about the matter, Hlavac tuned out the proceeding by playing an iPod loudly enough that others could hear it. The review board upheld complaints against Hlavac, but these were dismissed by police brass, who said they'd already disciplined him.

So there you have it -- a Pittsburgh police sergeant who has had the police called to his own home for loud arguments on multiple occasions; who has had the Citizen Police Review Board "recommended that [he] be suspended for seven days, undergo retraining and anger management, and possibly face prosecution by the district attorney" in 2006 (which never was followed through on); and who now stands accused of dislocating a women's jaw and charged with assault.

And, he's STILL not suspended.

What the hell?

Back in 2007 when Hlavac was promoted, the Pittsburgh Police asked us to trust their judgment:

Pittsburgh police on Thursday asked that city residents give three recently promoted officers a chance.

"I'm particularly asking women to look at what we've done in the past," Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson said at a late afternoon news conference. "We've worked for years with women and women's groups to protect women. You've trusted us before. We're asking you to trust us again."

[snip]

James Malloy, president of Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge No. 1, asked that people treat the officers fairly.

"It isn't like they're mashers, beating somebody's brains in," he said. "They're conscientious. They have good records. We have no issue whatsoever with this. They're not going to be brain surgeons.

No brains beaten in -- just a dislocated jaw.

[sigh]

The brass needs to listen to the Citizen Police Review Board this time:

"We want them to suspend him -- all of his police powers -- until such time as this is resolved," said Elizabeth Pittinger, executive director of the Citizen Police Review Board. "That is required under state law so they better do that. We expect that they will."

Damn Straight!


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Related:

Jeanne Clark's tweets on todays' hearing here

"Women's group urges mayor to 'take action' against city officer" (P-G)

"[PA] Is the domestic abuse of Pittsburgh Police Sgt. Hvalac violent enough yet to be taken seriously?" (Behind the Blue Wall)

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