Friday, June 16, 2006

06162006 - Officer Ronald Dupuis - Dupuis wins unemployment claim after being fired for tasering partner - Highland Park PD


OFFICER RONALD DUPUIS' [Former Ecorse Police Officer; Former Southgate Police Officer; Former Highland Park Police Officer; AND Former Hamtramck Police Officer; Current Highland Police Department]


SCROLL DOWN TO BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR DUPUIS' HISTORY.


Also See:

Southgate police officer Ronald Dupuis accused of stalking a woman while on duty. Before Dupuis could be fired, he quit the department. Criminal charges were not filed against Dupuis
[March 16, 1999]





Dupuis wins Unemployment dispute
Posted on June 16, 2006 by Hillary
Hamtramck Star
http://www.hamtramckstar.com/dupuis_wins_unemployment_dispute/

ACQUITTED TASER OFFICER EXONERATED, AGAIN

Last month, an administrative law judge ruled that former Hamtramck Police Officer Ronald Dupuis did not tase his partner, in November 2005. Administrative Law Judge Douglas G. Wahl specifically ruled as a finding of fact: “The claimant performed a “function test” of his taser while he was in the passenger seat of the patrol car and did not tase his partner.” (Ex. 1)

Dupuis was accused of tasing his partner, Officer Prema Graham, in November 2005 while the two were riding in a patrol car. Dupuis was quickly fired by Chief James Doyle within days and later charged with assault and battery. The termination and charges came even before all the evidence was collected, including a read out from a taser computer chip that Doyle did not download until 30 days later. The taser chip showed that the taser was fired one time for a period of one second, consistent with a function test according to Certified Taser Instructor and Hamtramck Police Officer John Aiello during his testimony at the trial. (Ex. 2) Graham’s version accused Dupuis of firing the taser at least two times and for longer durations into her thigh. She also alleged that Dupuis grabbed the steering wheel and she fought him off, yet the patrol car videotape was not introduced to the jury. The Detective in charge of the case, Sgt. Vincent Bielecki testified that there was no evidence a crime was committed contained on the videotape in question. (Ex. 3) A Hamtramck jury took only 20 minutes to acquit Dupuis after the trial was held in March, in the 31st District Court in Hamtramck, MI.

This latest hearing was conducted pursuant to an Unemployment Claim dispute between Dupuis and the city of Hamtramck. In addition to the finding of fact exonerating Dupuis, again, Dupuis prevailed in that action and received a check for over $5,000 for lost unemployment compensation. The city filed for a re-hearing and was denied a re-hearing by the judge.

Strangely, the city only produced Chief James Doyle and Lt. Craig Serafino to testify. Noticeably absent from the hearing was Officer Graham herself, even though she was readily available and was on patrol on the day of the hearing. Lt. Serafino told the judge that he could not explain why Graham was not there. Chief Doyle told the judge that he did not get enough notice to have Graham present. However, the city received notice two weeks prior to the hearing, which is much more notice than most police officers get when they appear in criminal court.

This Unemployment hearing is now the second victory (after the acquittal) for Dupuis between he and the city of Hamtramck. An arbitration hearing is scheduled for July 2006 in which the Hamtramck Police Union is asking for reinstatement and backpay for Dupuis.

Dupuis who has maintained his innocence since the incident stated after receiving the latest award, “I feel great. Not only has a jury found me not guilty of a crime that I did not commit, but now a judge has found specifically as a fact that I did not tase anyone on that day.”

I hope the arbitrator is able to see what’s really happened as well,” Dupuis stated about the upcoming arbitration, “I really want to get back to work and put this unbelievable nightmare behind me.”

Dupuis was represented by Attorney Paul Wright during the unemployment hearing.




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DUPUIS' LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:




OFFICER RONALD DUPUIS' [Former Ecorse Police Officer; Former Southgate Police Officer; Former Highland Park Police Officer; AND Former Hamtramck Police Officer; Current Highland Police Department]








Also See:

Feb. 17, 1997: Officer Ronald Dupuis written up for careless driving while on duty. Ecorse Police Department.


Between 1997 and 1998: Officer Ronald Dupuis leaves the Ecorse PD and becomes an officer with the Southgate PD.


October 08, 1998: Officer Ronald Dupuis allegedly beat up a mentally disabled man. Southgate PD.


November 04, 1998: Officer Ronald Dupuis reprimanded by the Southgate Police Department for the October 8th beating incident.


Dec. 24, 1998: Officer Ronald Dupuis accused of falsifying overtime slips. Southgate PD.


March 16, 1999: Officer Ronald Dupuis accused of stalking a woman and repeatedly pulling her over while he was on duty. Southgate PD.


March 30, 1999: Officer Ronald Dupuis was informed that he would be fired from the Southgate PD [Stalking incident].


April 02, 1999: Officer Ronald Dupuis resigned from the Southgate PD, to avoid being fired for stalking incident.


Sometime after April 02, 1999: Officer Ronald Dupuis was hired by the Highland Police Department [after resigning from the Southgate PD, to avoid being fired for stalking incident].


Nov. 7, 2000: Officer Ronald Dupuis was laid off by the Highland Park Public Safety department.


Sometime after November 07, 2000: Officer Ronald Dupuis was hired by the Hamtramack PD, after being laid off by the Highland PD.


April 21, 2002: Officer Ronald Dupuis was accused of assaulting a man during a traffic stop. Hamtramck PD. Resulted in a lawsuit, which was settled for $20,000 on November 05, 2005. Dupuis was not fired from the Hamtramack PD. for this incident.
http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2002/04/officer-ronald-dupis-hamtramck-pd.html


2004: Hamtramck police officer Dupuis was sued by a man who alleged Dupuis wrongfully arrested him and had him jailed for no reason. The man was released without being charged. His lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount.


Nov. 3, 2005: Officer Ronald Dupuis was accused of discharging a Taser stun gun and striking his female partner, Officer Prema Graham, in the leg with the weapon. [Hamtramack PD]


Nov. 10, 2005: Officer Ronald Dupuis was fired from the Hamtramck Police Department for tasering Officer Prema Graham.


Sometime after November 10, 2005: Officer Ronald Dupuis won legal challenges related to the tasering incident Officer Prema Graham, and the Hamtramck PD's firing of him.


Sometime after November 10, 2005: Officer Ronald Dupuis returned to duty at the Highland Police Department [previously laid off from department in November 2000].


Dec. 7, 2005: Officer Ronald Dupuis charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in connection with the Taser incident.


April 01, 2006: Officer Ronald Dupuis found not guilty at trial of November 2005 taser incident against Officer Prema Graham


June 16, 2006: Officer Ronald Dupuis won an unemployment claim dispute against the City of Hamtramck for their firing of him after the November 2005 taser incident Officer Prema Graham. Chief of Police also refused to reinstate Dupuis.


2006: Officer Ronald Dupuis filed a lawsuit against the City of Hamtramck and Officer Prema Graham [November 2005 taser incident]


August 2006: City of Hamtramck lost appeal on Officer Ronald Dupuis' unemployment. 


November 01, 2006: Officer Ronald Dupuis filed a lawsuit against the City of Hamtramck: Civil Rights / Employment. Police Chief refused to reinstate him. [November 2005 taser incident of Officer Graham].


January 2007: Officer Ronald Dupuis filed suit to be reinstated to Hamtramck PD, following his being terminated after November 2005 taser incident against Officer Prema Graham. 


October 31, 2008: Officer Ronald Dupuis filed suit against City of Hamtramck.


2012: Officer Ronald Dupuis was accused of choking a woman who was in custody.


February 28, 2012: Officer Ronald Dupuis filed a suit against Highland Park: Civil Rights / Employment. 


May 22, 2012: Officer Ronald Dupuis' gun "accidently" went off outside the department's cell block. Dupuis was shot in the leg. Sources at the Highland PD said there would be no disciplinary action taken against Dupuis.


January 12, 2014: An online video surfaced showing Officer Dupuis beating a hancuffed man during an arrest. "Highland Park city attorney Todd Perkins said he's aware of Dupuis' checkered past, although he said he will "draw no conclusions" from it."







Emma Craig https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=589843441146681

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