PORTLAND (AP) — An Oregon police officer fired for driving drunk in an unmarked police car while off-duty has filed a $6 million lawsuit against the city, the police chief and others, alleging his rights were violated under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit filed in Portland says the Gresham officer, Jason Servo, was suffering from alcoholism, a recognized disability under the act, and shouldn’t have been fired.
The suit also alleges Servo was denied due process, and the police union failed to represent him adequately.
Servo was arrested in January 2011 after he crashed into a ditch while off-duty. The lawsuit says he had spent the day at firearms training, then went out to eat and drink with fellow officers.
City Attorney David Ris didn’t immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
