Sturgeon chief releases resignation request documents

ABC 17 News has obtained the 13-page document sent to Sturgeon Police Chief Greg Halderman requesting his resignation. The document said if Halderman doesn’t resign he could face removal.

The documents schedule a Removal Hearing for Halderman on March 27 after the city’s planned council meeting.

According to Halderman, Mayor Gene Kelly hand-delivered the documents in a manila-envelope earlier this week. Halderman said the package was a shock.

The documents state the purpose of the meeting is the for the Board of Aldermen to consider removing Halderman from his position as chief. Halderman will be allowed to be heard before the board during the meeting.

The documents claim just cause exists for the removal of Halderman in that he is allegedly unable to perform his duties with reasonable competence or safety as a result of alleged alcohol abuse; he allegedly had a reckless disregard for the safety of the public or another law enforcement officer; and he was allegedly in violation of written established employment policy.

The documents reference four incidents Halderman has been involved in.

The first incident was in February 2014 when a female minor filed a complaint against the chief after she felt he made an inappropriate comment to her. Halderman wrote apology letters to the minor and her parents.

“One day the mayor said a young lady had taken offense to something I had said,” Halderman said. “I immediately was like, ‘Oh gosh, I didn’t mean anything. I’m going to go apologize.'”

The second incident was in January 2015 when Halderman allegedly pointed a gun at a city employee. Halderman said the unloaded gun belonged to an officer and he was borrowing it to test out the grips and flashlight on the gun. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office investigated and cleared Halderman of any wrongdoing.

“After that got over with, he came to me, apologized for all the stuff that had happened, shook my hand and we got along fine,” Halderman said.

In May of 2016, Halderman received a call from Boone County Joint Communications with a request to respond to an ongoing domestic dispute. Halderman claims he told BCJC it was his day off and he had been drinking at a BBQ. He requested them call the on-duty officer. When that officer didn’t answer, BCJC called Halderman back. Halderman claimed he’d had one beer in two hours and was blocks from the incident. He said he responded to the incident.

In February 2017, the documents state Halderman “behaved in an unprofessional manner by harassing and verbally abusing three prisoners.” Halderman claims it’d been a “bad week” for him after giving testimony on a case. He told ABC 17 News he’d had a few sips of beer when his department had caught suspects they’d been looking for.

“I went off on them,” Halderman said. “The one guy said he’d been in prison eight times and I said we were going to make it nine.”

Halderman told ABC 17 News he’s enjoyed his time serving the community of Sturgeon.

“A pleasurable positive experience,” Halderman said. “The people in town know if they have a problem they can come to me.”

When asked why he believes this request for resignation is happening, he said he believes it is a political move by an alderman.

“I suspect it’s one of the councilman that is pushing it,” Halderman said. “I think he wants to get rid of me and promote somebody else that is married to his best friend.”

Halderman said he is going to fight for his job.

“The people in this town have told me they do not want me to leave,” Halderman said.

One Strugeon resident ABC 17 News spoke with, Erik Anthes, said he believes most of the problems that originate in the city come from the city government.

“The last six months we’ve had a problem with maintaining great people in the government,” Anthes said.

Anthes claims the former city clerk was “run off” by city officials.

“Quite frankly, I’m embarrassed at what is going on right now,” Anthes said. “That our alderman and our mayor are making our city a joke and asking for the wrong person to resign.”

Anthes said he was a casual but good relationship with Halderman. Anthes, a veteran, said Halderman will regularly join a group of veterans in town to hang out and occasionally drink alcohol.

“It’s just absurd to say that he has a problem with alcohol when he is perpetually on patrol for the city of Sturgeon,” Anthes said.

Halderman also claims he may be being targeted because he refused to run a criminal background check on a mayoral candidate, something he said is illegal.

Earlier this month, Halderman filed a complaint against Alderman Tyler Patterson, alleging Patterson removed Halderman’s personnel file from sealed records, made a copy of it and kept the copy. The complaint was filed with the Missouri Attorney General’s office.

“It was removed from sealed records by Mr. Patterson and it was taken off city property,” Halderman said. “So who knows what was done to it, added, taken. So in my experience as law enforcement, in a court of law, that evidence is tainted, it cannot be used.”

You can view the full documents obtained by ABC 17 News below: