Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Litigation Indemnification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Retired officers press Inkster council for indemnification amid lawsuit; council offers no immediate commitment
Summary
Several retired police officers addressed the Inkster council Sept. 15, saying they were sued over a 2002 case, asking for city indemnification and criticizing recent prosecutorial actions; council made no immediate commitment on coverage.
During the Sept. 15 public‑comment period multiple former officers told the council they were surprised to be named in recent litigation stemming from past criminal cases and asked the city to indemnify current and former employees.
A speaker who introduced himself as Tony Abdallah Abdullah warned the council that officers would ‘not stop’ and said the city was withdrawing support; he accused unnamed officials of jeopardizing officers’ protections. Mayor Byron Nolan responded, “We’ll see.”
Kevin Smith, who identified himself as a retired detective lieutenant with 31 years of service, described a 2002 homicide investigation and said he and a partner ‘did our job by the book.’ Smith said he had never been sued in his career until now and asked the council to provide the same indemnification that other employees have received in past legal matters. “I was never sued ever… I did nothing wrong,” he told the council, noting personal health impacts from the dispute and saying he expects litigation to continue.
Council did not take immediate action or record a vote related to indemnification during the Sept. 15 meeting. Officials present did not dispute the speakers’ recollections on the record; the speakers urged the council to review the matter and support affected officers if appropriate.
