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Committee hears request to grant line‑of‑duty retirement exemption for Salem police officer
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Summary
Senator filed Senate Bill 2613 asking the committee to authorize the City of Salem retirement board to retire Kathleen Rocheville with an in‑line‑of‑duty exemption after injuries sustained responding to a violent mental‑health incident; witnesses noted local approval may be required.
Senate Bill 2613 would authorize the Retirement Board of the City of Salem to grant an in‑line‑of‑duty retirement exemption for Police Officer Kathleen Rocheville.
Senator (presenting the bill) told the committee that on Nov. 2, 2015, Officer Rocheville was injured while restraining a person undergoing a mental‑health crisis and that the injuries led to involuntary, permanent retirement. The measure would provide Rocheville an annual retirement amount equal to her regular compensation at the time of retirement until mandatory retirement age or death; at mandatory retirement age the bill would convert the benefit to a pension at 80 percent of compensation. The bill would also indemnify medical expenses related to the on‑the‑job injury.
The senator said the Salem retirement board had suggested Rocheville seek local city council approval; he said local approval had not yet occurred and that the committee would be provided with the city’s position when available.
Officer Kathleen Rocheville described the incident during testimony: responding alone to a combative patient at an outpatient mental‑health facility, she said backup was called off while she arrived and staff left the room, leaving her alone with an individual who struck a family member and then became violent. Rocheville said she physically restrained the person, endured punching, spitting and biting, and was struck by a metal object; she said she sustained a hip injury and subsequent diagnoses (including a torn labrum) that left her unable to return to duty after surgery and treatment.
She asked the committee to consider the bill and described the physical and emotional consequences of the event. The senator said the bill is identical in structure to a prior measure that provided an exemption for another Salem officer and sought the committee’s consideration; the committee recorded no formal vote during the hearing.
