Northport, Ala. Officer Appeals Firing

NORTHPORT, Ala. (AP) – A Northport police officer is fighting his dismissal by claiming he was fired for giving a ticket to another police officer.

Terry Zilke contends he was fired from the Northport Police Department after ticketing a fellow officer for parking in a handicapped spot.

The Tuscaloosa News (http://bit.ly/19nnQhg) reports that a civil service board upheld Zilke’s dismissal, so he filed an appeal Monday in Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court.

The complaint says a supervisor instructed Zilke to issue a ticket to another officer on Sept. 26. That officer filed a harassment complaint against Zilke, who was fired in October.

The Civil Service Board heard evidence and upheld the officer’s termination at a hearing on Dec. 17.

Zilke is asking to be reinstated and reimbursed for lost pay and benefits.