ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
State of Ridgeway
IN RE
AustlnMontague
Respondent
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ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING
REPORT
REPORT ON ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING
HEARING SUMMARY
Agency: Palmer Police Department
Presiding Judge: [Presiding Judge]
Dept. Command: Deputy Chief iiDark_Law
Impaneled Officers: Lieutenant AhmadKapalot
Sergeant smashpears
Date: February 26th, 2024
Time 06:00 AM UTC
SUMMARY OF ALLEGATIONS
OFFENSE NAME OFFENSE
CITATION
OFFENSE SRC PENALTY
IMPROPER
HANDLING,
DISPOSAL, AND
SHARING OF
DEPARTMENT-ISSUE
D EQUIPMENT
COC §1.06 DEPT POLICY TERMINATION
VIOLATION OF
DEPARTMENT
POLICY UNDER
ZERO TOLERANCE
POLICY
COC §1.18 DEPT POLICY TERMINATION,
DISHONORABLE
DISCHARGE UP TO 4
MONTHS.
§1.24 PROVIDING
FALSE STATEMENTS
DURING AN
INVESTIGATION
COC §1.24 DEPT POLICY TERMINATION
§1.29 RECRUIT
OFFICER
REGULATIONS
VIOLATION
COC §1.27 DEPT POLICY TERMINATION
§1.30
UNAUTHORIZED
RECRUIT OFFICER
LOADOUT
COC §1.28 DEPT POLICY TERMINATION
FINDINGS OF FACT
1. The subject, AustlnMontague, is currently a Probationary Officer employed
within the Palmer Police Department since February 2nd, 2024. The
officer has held this rank since February 12th, 2024. Before February 12th,
2024, the subject held the rank of Recruit Officer.
2. On February 24th, 2024, the subject was investigated by the Special
Investigations Unit in regards to recent dropped equipment logs under his
name. The following items were dropped by the subject: x2 Non-Lethal
Westlers, x1 PI 5.56, x1 TB26, x1 Flashlight, x1 M2-A, x1 Nightstick, x2
Taser Cartridges. These drops occurred between February 9th, through
February 12th, 2024.
3. At approximately 23:00 hours EST on February 24th, 2024, an interview
was conducted with the subject by the Special Investigations Unit. During
this interview the subject initially and repeatedly claimed to have never
dropped department-issued equipment.
4. During this interview, the subject later admitted to have dropped
department-issued equipment.
5. The Palmer Police Department Code of Conduct strictly prohibits the
dropping of any department-issued equipment under COC §1.06. This
section also requires any equipment drops to be immediately reported to
the Special Investigations Unit.
6. The Palmer Police Department Code of Conduct strictly prohibits
violations of policy that occur while an employee is under a
Zero-Tolerance Policy (ZTP) under COC §1.18. Per the Palmer Police
Department Standard Operating Procedure, Policy 206.1, Recruit Officers
are subject to a ZTP.
7. The Palmer Police Department Code of Conduct prohibits any employed
member of the Department from knowingly providing dishonest or
misleading accounts and statements during the course of an investigation
under COC §1.24.
8. The Palmer Police Department Code of Conduct prohibits any Recruit
Officer from possessing a long-arm while patrolling under COC §1.27. The
Code of Conduct (§1.28) also specifically permits only the following
department-issued equipment for Recruit Officers at anytime: x1 Radio, x1
Handcuffs, x1 Baton, x1 Flashlight, x1 Radar Gun, x1 Para 17, x4 9mm
Ammunition, x1 TB26, x3 Taser Cartridges, x1 Cone, x1 Barrier.
FINDINGS OF LAW AND POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS
The impaneled officers recommend that the subject be dishonorably
discharged from the Palmer Police Department.
CERTIFICATION
We, the tribunal, duly impaneled, do hereby certify the findings of this hearing,
and have forthwith put our recommendations as part of this report. These findings are
findings of our own, and purely our own without any outside interference or coercion.
We make this recommendation in good faith, under pains and penalties of perjury, and
that it is not the result of bias, prejudice, or other unlawful influence on our own
judgment.
/s/
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IMPANELED OFFICER ONE
/s/
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IMPANELED OFFICER TWO
/s/
onlytwentycharacters
ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
JUDGE
APPENDIX OF EVIDENCE
Exhibit A: Internal Affairs Disciplinary Action Report
Exhibit B: Internal Affairs Testimonies & Evidence Sheet
Exhibit C: GIF depicting the items dropped by the subject
Exhibit D: Image depicting the confession from the subject
