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Why was a SLO County sheriff deputy demoted?

November 28, 2019

Sheriff Ian Parkinson

By CCT STAFF

The president of the San Luis Obispo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association filed a petition asking the court to review his demotion for excessive force at the jail, which he says was politically motivated. During the last election, the union did not endorse Sheriff Ian Parkinson. [Tribune]

In his petition filed Friday with the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, Lars Luther asks the court to set aside his Feb. 2019 demotion, and to order the department give him back-pay and interest. Luther has worked for the county since July 1990.

In Oct 2018, Luther participated in the physical restraining of an inmate held in the medical isolation unit. The inmate was not injured and did not allege the deputy used excessive force, according to the lawsuit.
Days later, an unidentified department source filed a formal complaint.

In February, Sheriff Ian Parkinson demoted Luther’s rank from senior correctional deputy to correctional deputy. Luther attempted to appeal the process through the county, but was unsuccessful.

Several years ago, the court ruled a Grover Beach police officer who served as the union president, had been wrongly terminated. The officer was given his job back, back pay, and interest.

While this is the first allegation of excessive force lodged against Luther, in 2015 he allegedly made gender-based’ discourteous remarks directed at fellow employees. He was also reprimanded for cursing at a female lieutenant in 2016, and in 2018, for making inappropriate remarks to a sheriff’s assistant.


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Last individual- if anyone dies in a hospital should the staff be held accountable for murder? What sort of “fine leader” of Doctors and Nurses allowed anyone to die in a hospital? please don’t reproduce!


0

What ever happened to the Fed investigation? No news!

Or does it take so long!


12

Let me guess Critical,

You hate the Police,

Ian has been a fine Leader,

Try directing your fire on the BOS,

like AH or the POS mayor of SLO.


-9

What sort of “fine leader” allows his thugs to murder something like 15 people in something under 4 years?


10

Or it could be that Parkinson is the first sheriff to hold Luther accountable for his behavior. Let’s see what the court decides before rushing to judgment.


25

Politically motivated backlash by our Rhine Stone Cowboy posing as a Sheriff. His administration is corrupt. This is his retaliation against the union leader for failing to support him in the last election. Obvious and pathetic.


-12

I was wondering about the Fed investigation and where it’s at? Park said on the radio a few months back that it was on going!


8

When good-old-boy Sheriff Ed Williams retired all the Chief’s of police in the county supported retired SLOPD Chief James Gardiner for the job, highly regarded by all, professional and uncorruptable. The deputy sheriff’s union s**t its collective pants at the prospect of being held accountable by a new boss and put forth wife-beating drunkard deputy Pat Hedges, who by the way, along with the Cal Poly Police, which should not exist, sabotaged the Kristin Smart investigation. How’d that work out? Parkinson has my complete confidence and support.


0