Video: Columbus Officer a ‘No Show’ for Appeal

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — Columbus Police corporal Eric Lewis fails to show up today to appeal his 20-day suspension.

But instead of tossing his appeal, the Columbus Civil Service Commission gave his attorney Francis Springer a chance to find out what happened and schedule another date.

Springer told the three-person board he had received the notice of the hearing on behalf of his client and thought his client was aware of the date but had not been able to reach him in the last few days.

Lewis was suspended for 20 working days — about two calendar months — on Jan. 6 for failing to act on a drug case for 18 months and then asking for the evidence to be destroyed.

Chief Tony Carleton had recommended a 30-day suspension. The City Council heard evidence in the case late last year but postponed a decision until the Jan. 6 meeting to better digest the evidence. Motions to suspend Lewis for 30 and 15 days each failed on 2-4 votes before the 20-day suspension passed 5-1.

Lewis’ trouble began last summer when the department noticed some discrepancies in the department’s drug fund. In a summary statement to the commission today before the hearing was postponed, City Attorney Jeff Turnage said an investigation by the state Attorney General’s public integrity division revealed some shortcomings but not enough to prompt a criminal charge. The city decided not to pursue disciplinary action at that time because it would have required revealing a confidential informant.

But when Lewis sent drugs to the state crime lab last August to be destroyed, the department realized one of those cases stemmed from an incident at a Columbus motel that did not involve the confidential informant. The case had begun in February 2013 but Lewis had taken no action.

Imposition of Lewis’ suspension has been put on hold pending the appeal.