Trial date set for former Columbia police officer’s lawsuit

A trial date has been set for a former Columbia police officer seeking to be reinstated.

Rob Sanders was fired after being accused of shoving inmate Kenneth Baker in a holding cell back in 2011.

He was charged with assault before being acquitted in 2013 and is suing the city of Columbia for wrongful termination.

An appeals court overturned a Cole County ruling last year to reinstate Sanders.

A source close to the case told ABC 17 News on Tuesday that the trial is set for May 16-18, 2018.