Five of six allegations against officer dropped

Keith Paul

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 | 11:04 a.m.

A Metro Police traffic officer who has six complaints filed against him will soon be put back on the street after five of the allegations were dropped or cleared.

Only one allegation of misconduct against Officer Glenn Dillard was sustained. In five other complaints, either the person making the allegation no longer wanted to cooperate or internal affairs investigators didn't find the evidence to sustain the complaints, Undersheriff Richard Winget said Tuesday.

"The leading reason was complainants no longer wishing to be involved," Winget said. "They mentioned they did not want to become the center of a media blitz."

The sustained complaint involved the alleged mistreatment of a woman during a September traffic stop. Dillard was accused of physically restraining and handcuffing her during the stop. He also was accused of pushing her down on the police car, police said.

Winget said Dillard was given a "minor suspension" in accordance with the department discipline guidelines, meaning a suspension of eight to 40 hours without pay. Dillard, who declined to comment, has appealed his punishment, Winget said.

A complaint filed by Lisa Coatney alleging that she was assaulted and arrested by Dillard in 1999 was dropped after a motion for a restraining order was filed to prevent internal affairs investigators from contacting her. She filed a federal lawsuit against Dillard and the department before seeking the order.

Coatney claimed her job as a clerk with the Clark County District Attorney's Office was threatened during a phone conversation with an internal affairs lieutenant, according to her attorney. Police deny the allegation.

Dillard was transferred to desk duty several weeks ago while the internal investigations were being completed. He faced the potential of being fired if all of the complaints had been sustained.

Instead, Winget said, Dillard will be put back on regular duty soon.

Coatney and the four other complainants came forward in May after media accounts of the September traffic stop.

The allegations have been previously described by Winget as "unprofessional attitude or physical aggression with little provocation."

Coatney filed a complaint with internal affairs after the 1999 incident, and it was not sustained at the time. The case was reopened after she contacted internal affairs investigators, asking her complaint be reviewed after the other complaint against Dillard was sustained.

Police reviewed the investigation, found witnesses who should have been interviewed and reopened the case, Winget said.

However, Winget said since Coatney would not cooperate with investigators, her complaint was dropped.

Coatney's attorney, Cal Potter, said police should have called him and not Coatney once she filed the lawsuit and was represented by an attorney.

In her suit, Coatney claims Dillard came to her home after neighbors called police because of an alleged domestic disturbance. Coatney told Dillard she was not injured, he could not come into the house and "if he wanted to enter her home he would need to get a warrant."

Dillard entered the home, arrested her and "repeatedly slammed the plaintiff against the squad car," the suit says.

Dillard still faces a department allegation that he failed to appear in court.