28 AUG 08: OOPS, HE'S TALKING AGAIN

Wednesday was a satisfying day for Columbus Police, as the F.B.I. announced the arrest of Michael Registe in the Netherlands Antilles. Yet some people are not exactly satisfied with the police department -- and now that list includes former police officers. Why they want to risk appearing in the same group with Registe may be a bit hard to understand....

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Your blog has new detailed information on what happened to former Columbus Police officer Brent Rollins. You'll recall after he was fired from the force in June, Rollins used the phrase "all come out in the wash" [9 Jun]. Rollins now reveals his appeal for reinstatement was rejected last week -- so he may be choosing to "Shout it out" as well.

(How many times have you heard someone say during a dispute, "It'll all come out in the wash"? Only you never hear the supposedly key missing details - as if they were washed down the drain, and now are missing at sea?)

Brent Rollins also claims there's a case pending inside the Columbus Police Department, where two officers may have lied during an "official investigation." So they're investigating an investigation - which sounds more like something members of Congress do, when they have nothing to complain about.

Brent Rollins sent this blog an e-mail explanation of what he's faced over the last several years in law enforcement. He suggests his firing resulted from a mix of difficult personal events and a lack of compassion by Chief Ricky Boren. I suppose some might dismiss this as "sour grapes" - but at least Rollins has enough sense not to take a Taser downtown to get even.

The Brent Rollins e-mail is lengthy, starts off confessional and then turns accusational:

In early 2001, I met this young lady working at a convenience store on St. Mary's Rd. while I was working in the middle of the night at a patrolman for the Columbus Police Department. I had no debt and was completely happy. She asked me out several times before I finally said yes. We dated through 2001 and into 2002.

Early 2002, I felt the market was right for me to purchase my first home. She did not and fought me every step of the way. When I closed on the house, I was nervous and excited all at once. She invited herself to move in. For the next few months, I realized the relationship was going nowhere. One incident that sticks out in my head...I worked part-time at the Piggly Wiggly from 6 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. then I worked at the Police Department from 11:15 p.m. until 7:45 a.m. I then slept during the day. I then worked the Piggly Wiggly again, then at the Department again until 7:45 am. I then worked Cascade Hills Church from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. I then worked directing traffic at a funeral home grand opening until 6 p.m. I was working these jobs to pay for debt she helped me accrue. After working all those hours, I came home to find that she was going to play pool with her parents that evening around 9 p.m. I told her I was going to bed and asked if she would clean up the mess she'd made over the past few days. She looked at me and said, "you do it." This conversation with her led me to believe that our relationship was not going to last. During the summer of 2002, I asked her to move out.

I did not have any contact with her until she called me about a week after New Years, 2003. She stated she wanted to talk. She came over and said she'd not realized how important I was to her and how much she loved me. We decided to try and work it out. About a week later, on a Saturday, I tried all day to reach her by phone. She didn't call me back until really late on that Saturday night. She told me that she had been pregnant with my child up until that point. She had an abortion that day. I will have to say, I cried like a little girl. I don't know if it was guilt or what, but we got back together.

In 2004, I made a bad decision to move away from Columbus. At the urging of my girlfriend, I moved to Forsyth County, G. A. to work for the Sheriff's Office there. I was very unhappy and a very short time later, I moved back. I got my job back at the Columbus Police Department. I had to live in a rental house for a year because I rented my house out. During that year, I made more bad decisions. I allowed my live-in girlfriend's parents to move in. I was supporting four adults on my patrolman's salary. My stress level was through the roof. My girlfriend's car quit working. I told her to look for a car for eight thousand and below. I explained that the payment would be good for us at that price. She found a car for twelve thousand dollars. When I explained that was over budget, she had a fit the devil would be proud of. I gave in, despite my better judgement. I also had apparently lost my mind because I asked her to marry me during the summer of 2004. We set a date of July 16th, 2005.

As 2005 was about five months old, we moved back into my house after the year lease was up. It had been one h**l of a year, planning a wedding that I couldn't afford. On that fateful day, I said, "I do." We then went on our honeymoon to New Orleans, then on a cruise. We got back to Columbus and a short time later hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. About a month later, my new bride wakes me up during the day, which is my bedtime because I work at night, and announces that we don't love each other like we used to. I spent the next few weeks trying to get her to tell me what I needed to fix. She says she doesn't want me to be a Police Officer, she doesn't like where we live, the list goes on and on. I told her I had free counseling sessions from work. She said she didn't want to do that. On a Friday, she tells me she is moving in with her parents. I spent the next day at my mother's house, answering the phone when my wife would call and curse at me. She was cursing so loudly, my mother could hear her clearly from across the room. That day I decided that I needed to end my marriage.

On October 3rd, 2005, I met with a lawyer about the divorce. On the 4th, I filed for divorce. I changed the locks on the house. I got a restraining order. I changed the lock on the post office box. I borrowed a car to drive. I turned off all the phones I had in my name for her and her parents. I went into hiding. About a month later, I finally answered her call. She said to me she didn't want a divorce. She told me she would do anything to save our marriage. I asked her to go to counseling with me. She said she wouldn't do that. I stopped answering her calls again. On December 16th, 2005, I walked into Judge Allen's courtroom to be divorced. She didn't show up. I haven't spoken to her since.

November 2005, I met a woman who was unhappy in her marriage. I was unhappy in life so I guess we bonded. I would go out to eat with her, her husband, and her daughter. I would go to their house and watch television. This was a bad decision. She then divorced her husband and we started dating. For most of 2006 and 2007, we dated. She even lived with me for a short period of time. During the whole time we dated, it was not uncommon to see her husband stalking us, driving by the house, or following us to restaurants. While we would watch TV at my house, he would be parked down the street calling both of our phones over and over again. I wanted to press charges, but she encouraged me not to. We finally broke up and the stalking stopped. He was busy with his new career as a Columbus Police Officer. He was doing his father, assistant Chief Rowe, proud.

I think 2007 was the year all my stress began to boil over. I made a doctor's appointment. She put me on mood stabilization medication. But until we found the right one, I was taking medicine to help me sleep, medicine to wake me up, and mood stabilization medication. During this time, I was suspended for the first time in my 7 year career. I yelled some curse words at work towards two people who were arguing in the street. The people complained and I was suspended without pay for 3 days. I also was under stress because my father's mother was dying. My father asked me to witness a man who worked for Primerica lying about why he couldn't give him my grandmother's money. Dad had power of attorney. My father stated this man had been lying to him for weeks about why he couldn't give him the money he needed to care for my grandmother. I made the mistake of going into the mans office after work, while in uniform. As I stood in this mans office listening to him lie, I began to envision my grandmother doing the very odd things she would do due to her illness. I became angry and before I knew it, I had struck the mans desk. He immediately turned to his computer, typed a few things, and gave my dad a check. He had been lying for weeks. This man complained to the Police Department. I was suspended without pay for 3 days. During this 6 day period of suspension, I called my Captain and explained to him that my doctor was changing my medication and I would be taking some sick time along with my suspension days. I explained to him that I didn't feel like myself. These were the only two times I had ever been in trouble since starting at the Police Department in 2000. My grandmother died in August 2007.

In October 2007, I was dispatched to a call at 2001 Torch Hill Road, building 10 in reference to a cutting. Upon arrival, I observed a black male exit the number 10 building and run when he saw my patrol vehicle. I followed the subject in the car for just short of a football field. He stopped running, turned around and began waiving his right hand in the air while saying he didn't have anything to do with the cutting....with many curse words mixed in. The subject had blood on his shirt, his left hand was wrapped in a white shirt, and I couldn't tell if his left hand was inside his waistband or out by the way he was holding his hand. During this, I was yelling out of my car window for him to lay on the ground, that we would get it worked out. I yelled many times for him to lay on the ground. From a dead stop, I lunged the car at him. He put his hands on the hood, but did not lay on the ground. I lunged the car at him again, barely striking him, but knocking him down. Then I got out of my car and handcuffed him. Come to find out, he walked out of his girlfriend's apartment, saw the cut woman, she got blood on him, and then he ran when he saw the Police. He didn't have anything to do with the situation. He said he ran because he was scared. He had been arrested and charged with many crimes less than a week prior. I transported him to jail for obstructing an officer. Inside the jail, he was asked if he was hurt, been in an accident, had high blood pressure, and a host of other questions. He denied being hurt. Several days later when he got out of jail, he complained to the Police Department.

November 2nd, I arrived at work to find that I had been placed on administrative duty until the investigation was complete. I was assigned to Property and Evidence for the next 7 months while the Office of Professional Standards (O.O.P.S.) investigated the complaint. During those months, I was called into their office to answer some questions about an incident which took place on Estes Dr. O.O.P.S. had gone back and reviewed every video tape my patrol car ever made in order to find more things I had done wrong. On the video tape, I could be heard telling this young man he should not disrespect his mother and he should go to school. The only thing is, I was cursing loudly while I was telling him these things. A few months later, I was back at this house taking the boy, who was now 17, to jail at the request of his mother. This tape was made during the first part of 2007, over a year before. I explained that I should have gone about the incident a different way, but I really didn't think they were going to make a real big deal of it since the people NEVER complained about it until O.O.P.S. began knocking on their door asking them to complain. In 7 years, I have answered approximately 16,800 calls for service and only 4 people ever complained.

After being questioned about this incident is when I realized what was really going on. I suspect that Chief Boren told O.O.P.S. to find as much as they could to get me into trouble so he could fire me. He was angry about the emails I had sent out about 2 years prior. A few days later, I received a letter telling me to be in the Chief's office to answer to the 4 policy violations listed on the paper. I thought I would be ok since there were only 4 violations listed. When the meeting started, they listed many more than just the 4 I was aware of. I was then questioned by the command staff as to my behavior during 2007. I explained my medication changes, my grandmothers passing, along with my many other stresses. I didn't mention that the assistant Chief's son had been stalking me for almost a year. Not sure why I didn't, but I didn't. I also mentioned that I had attempted to take 2 classes I had been told to take by the department as part of my punishment for the trouble I had been in earlier in 2007. I told them I tried to sign up for the classes twice and was told it was NOT my job to sign up for the classes, but the training division would sign me up for the classes. Time went by and I was never sent to the classes. Chief Rowe stated that he'd watched several videos of mine from my car and noticed I always seemed very quiet, calm, and reserved. He asked me what happened in 2007. I explained again all of the things that had been building up in my life. I was sent from the room. When I entered the room again, Chief Boren stated I was going to be terminated for my behavior. He stated the reasons were that I had not taken the classes I was supposed to take along with the other complaints that were made against me. I then left the department. My plan was to resign from the department and go work elsewhere and I attempted to resign from the department the next day, but was not allowed to. I then appealed the Chief's decision to Tom Barron, the city's human resource director. He and the Chief went back and forth for almost a week as to whether or not to allow me to resign. The Chief told Mr. Barron I should have resigned before my final meeting with him and the command staff. Mr. Barron finally rolled over and I had to appeal the decision further.

On August 20th, 2008, I went in front of a appeal board. I had an attorney and a witness who was there to sing my praise as a Police Officer. She told the board that I was the best influence on her son when he was a teenager. She also stated she and her son often talked about where he would be in life if it weren't for me being there to keep him straight as he was growing up. I told the board that I had made some mistakes in my life and I didn't want to work for the Columbus Police Department anymore. I told them I wanted to be allowed to resign so I could keep my Georgia Peace Officer Certification and work elsewhere in the state. Chief Boren told the board that I was an officer out of control, I shouldn't wear a badge or a gun, and I shouldn't be allowed to be a Police Officer anywhere. I guess I was just following in his foot steps. I have had several retired officers tell me how Patrolman then Detective Boren used to rough people up to get them to admit to crimes. I bet Carlton Gary would support those statements.

I can understand if Chief Boren doesn't want me to work in Columbus, but talk about beating a dead horse! He is ruining my life all because of some emails I sent out 2 years earlier. Not only is he angry about the emails, he is angry because O.O.P.S. launched an investigation, that lasted the better part of a year, into who was sending the emails and couldn't solve the mystery. They never thought to just reply to one of them and ask because I would've told them. What really gets me is that Chief Boren has allowed other officers to resign after they were arrested and convicted of crimes. Those officers now work elsewhere in the state. He has allowed officers who have committed family violence offenses to continue to be employed and he has allowed officers who have been arrested to continue to work at the department. I never lied and I never committed a crime. I am still debating if I should release my list of officers who are still working at the department who have been arrested and the crime was swept under the rug.

An effective and good Chief would've looked at the whole circumstances and realized that I had NEVER been in trouble during my law enforcement career except during 2007. A good Chief would have made sure I had those classes I had been assigned to. Those classes may have prevented me from getting into any trouble after I took them, but alas I wasn't allowed to take verbal judo and anger management.

On average I answered 200 calls for service a month multiplied by 12 months a year then multiplied by 8 years equals an estimated 19,200 calls I answered in my career as a Columbus Police Officer. Out of those 19,200 calls for service, I received 3 sustained complaints. All of those complaints were in 2007. Another point of interest is that I have had 2 agencies contact me in order to recruit me to work for them. My future employment all depends on whether or not the Peace Officer Standards and Training Counsel (P.O.S.T.) pulls my certification.

I have made many mistakes in my life. I guess my biggest was not sitting down, shutting up, and NOT saying the sky was orange when the Chief told me it was. Well, I guess its on to the next chapter in my life.

Thanks,

Brent Rollins

Starting from the top: what we have here is a large dose of real life. It's admittedly a curious life when women ask male police officers for dates. That was especially so in early 2001 -- because that was before the September 11 attacks, which suddenly turned all Fort Benning soldiers into heroes.

Those months with a convenience store employee should show the importance of being careful with romance, even if you're in a position of responsibility such as police work. Of course, many people have fallen short in that area. That's why I haven't heard John Edwards give a speech at the Democratic Convention.

Brent Rollins's experiences early in this decade help explain some of the e-mails he sent this blog under the "Is Our City Safe" pseudonym. He worked in jobs outside police hours to pay for a home. And his work at Piggly Wiggly explains why he once suggested former Mayor Bob Poydasheff go bag groceries there.

It's interesting that a move to the wealthy side of metro Atlanta left Brent Rollins "very unhappy." Who knows how many law officers have left cities such as Columbus for bigger places which offer more money? Trouble is, they then discover bigger cities actually have more crime in them.

I can relate somewhat to what Brent Rollins faced with his live-in girlfriend's parents in 2004. In the late 1980's two men approached me needing places to stay -- one for "a couple of weeks," the other for "about a month." Only later did I discover a "couple" can mean 36, and "about" one can be interpreted as 18.

But what sort of spouse wakes up a partner while he or she is sleeping, to declare the old love is missing? I'd think that sort of complaint would come (ahem) shortly before bedtime - but I've admittedly only read books on foreplay....

Getting closer to the meat of the issue: it's nice to know the Columbus Police Department offers free counseling sessions for police officers. I can imagine how law enforcement can be stressful for a family. After all, even an organized crime boss like Tony Soprano needed a psychiatrist.

But wow - Brent Rollins says he first had to deal with an angry wife, then a stalking ex-husband of his girlfriend. No wonder he sent so many e-mails around town in 2005 and 2006. His complaints about city government actually served as stress relief.

This stalking accusation involving a son of the assistant police chief may be familiar to regular blog readers. We revealed last summer that Brian Rowe was arrested on stalking charges - but his case was moved to a "dead docket," and has never come to trial [12 Jul 07]. And strangely, the District Attorney never complained about Rowe's $3,500 bond being too low.

Brian Rowe's ex-wife told us last year the stalking charge was a "mistake," and she thinks he can be a great police officer [18 Jul 07]. We e-mailed her Wednesday for a comment on Brent Rollins's accusations, but received no response by our deadline. We hope she's not on the run from anyone else....

It's fascinating to me that Brent Rollins's stress problems overwhelmed him last year - after the election of the mayor he so badly wanted. It seems clear that city government was NOT Rollins's biggest headache - relationship problems were. But then again, Rollins didn't have good relations with the former mayor at all.

So two people argue in a street - and when a police officer curses toward them, they turn around and report it to the chief?! If this is what it takes to stop quarrels and bring people together, Vice President Cheney might take a foul-mouthed rapper with him to the Republic of Georgia next week.

Brent Rollins uses the years of stressful personal relationships and "mood stabilization medication" to explain what happened that fateful October day on Torch Hill Road. But that explanation also indicates Rollins tried to follow proper procedure that day. NASCAR drivers have been doing a lot more damage with their cars lately.

I never realized the Columbus Police Department had a division called OOPS for short. That's about as curious as the football acronym I had to figure out the other day -- the PUP. That stands for "physically unable to perform." I thought it referred to a party for top rookies.

Brent Rollins clearly is accusing Chief Ricky Boren of having a vendetta against him. But for all I know, a full review of police car videotapes may be common in a case like this. That way the Office of Professional Standards can write on its final report, "OOPS: he did it again."

If Brent Rollins really kept a list of arrested Columbus police officers and the number of calls he answered on the force, he may have been in the wrong department of policing. Someone who keeps notes that well should be a detective, not a patrolman.

I could write more about Brent Rollins's long explanation, but time does not permit. In a follow-up he sent to some of our questions Wednesday, Rollins admits he's currently out of work - and is leaning toward a "regular job" away from law enforcement. Wednesday's expansion of the Cessna plant may have come in the nick of time....

(But Rollins admits a "smaller department" may be interested in hiring him. How IS that search for a police chief in Hurtsboro going, anyway?)

Brent Rollins also admits he's still "on the fence" about filing a civil lawsuit against the city of Columbus. It depends on what happens with the two officers he says are under investigation right now. Hmmmm - I suppose a class-action suit would have more weight behind it....

So what do you think - is Brent Rollins making excuses for what led to his dismissal from Columbus Police? Have higher-ups in the department handled things badly? And will you really get an honest answer, if you ask a mysterious e-mailer who he is? A number of people have been burned by schemers from Nigeria that way.

E-MAIL UPDATE: We have one other message today, that's short and to the point....

First I read your blog,then I read the Ledger to see what the Ledger does not know..

I guess I should say thank you for that. But believe me, the Ledger-Enquirer knows plenty of things that I do not. I mean, Sonya Sorich seems to know the hottest party spots every weekend -- but no one invites me to any of them.

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