A local area blog, Shoalanda Speaks,  posted a copy of the appeal filed by former Muscle Shoals police officer Greg Scoggins to get his job back.  Count V of the complaint reads:

Scoggins cannot be convicted of Possession of a Fireman.

I’ve blogged previously about this case here.

I’ve blogged a couple times (here and here) about a local area cop who was fired for shooting a deer with his own rifle while on duty, but the more I read about this, the more I wonder whether the so-called “charges” leveled against him were really charges in the criminal sense of the word.  In other words, is he going to be prosecuted in criminal court or is termination the only penalty he faces?

In any case, Scoggins is in the news again as he prepares to appeal his termination once again.  While, these articles repeatedly speak of “charges” and even use the word “prosecution“ with regard to his firing, there has been no mention arraignment, bail, or trial date which makes me think he may indeed be getting special treatment because he’s a cop.  Wouldn’t an ordinary citizen accused of the same violations be facing criminal charges?

A few weeks ago I posted about a cop in Muscle Shoals, Alabama who was fired for shooting a deer with his own personal rifle while out on patrol in his squad car.

WHNT TV reports that, yesterday, the Civil Service Board upheld the city’s dismissal of the officer.  In addition to being fired, Greg Scoggins also faces charges of hunting without permission, hunting with the aid of a motor vehicle, and reckless endangerment.

I posted about this relatively non-serious event for its local interest value, but it does offer some contrast to a national trend of letting cops off the hook for abuse of power and misbehavior that has much more serious ramifications.  Police routinely avoid consequences for bad behavior that would land ordinary citizens in the slammer.  The refusal of police to charge fellow officers (as well as prosecutors and other government officials) for offenses is called “professional courtesy” and can include everything from speeding to DUI to corruption to covering up much more serious crimes.

This “Thin Blue Line” sticker on a vehicle can serve as an identifier to law enforcement that the driver is among the class of people for who “professional courtesy” is extended.

Cops are held to a lower standard than the public when they should be held to a higher standard.  No one has a god-given right to their job, least of all a public servant and any cop who thinks he is above the law doesn’t deserve to be a cop.  While he certainly has the right to challenge the criminal charges against him, the bottom line is that he should be subject to exactly the same treatment as any ordinary citizen who commits the same act, whether it be speeding, illegal hunting, driving under the influence, or violating someone’s rights.

So far, it seems that the city of Muscle Shoals is holding this officer accountable.  Hopefully this is the rule rather than the exception.

A Muscle Shoals, Alabama cop is in trouble for shooting a deer.  He apparently used his own rifle, carried with him on patrol, to kill the 10-point buck.  As a result, he was fired and charged with reckless endangerment, hunting without a permit and hunting with the help of a motor vehicle.

The cop claims he was protecting the public because the deer could wander into the road creating a traffic hazard.

What makes this story unusual with respect to much of what we read about on sites like The Agitator, is that the cop received any punishment at all. American law enforcement culture revolves around the belief that laws are for ordinary people.  No ordinary citizen would get a pass using the excuses this cop is using and neither should he. Cops should not be held to a lower standard. They should be held to a higher standard. After all, they are law enforcement professionals, right?