Deputy Goff should be fired as soon as bureaucratically possible

Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008

Goff waived his right to appeal, leaving him with no criminal record, but what’s most outrageous in this entire affair is that, despite his conviction, he’s still drawing a taxpayer-provided paycheck while on suspension and awaiting a hearing that will decide his fate on the police force.

I’m pretty sure I speak for at least a handful of concerned citizens when I say that David Goff should be fired as soon as bureaucratically possible.

Whether or not he technically earned himself a criminal record as a result of his drunken attack is irrelevant; Goff nevertheless exercised his authority under the badge to initiate a criminal assault on a citizen who merely was riding his ATV along the highway.

Goff’s attorney, Kevin McDevitt, said, ‘‘Since this incident, [Goff’s] reputation has been ruined,” adding, ‘‘He has lost his house, his family and his job, and a lot of his pride.”

I’ve known Mr. McDevitt 10 years and I think he’s a good guy, but I can’t share his sympathy for his client.

I don’t know why Goff would lose his house and family over this, and certainly people make mistakes and merit opportunity for forgiveness, but he undoubtedly deserves to lose his job and suffer a hit to his reputation and pride as a result of his conduct.

McDevitt is not defending an everyday citizen here who was assailed by a government thug; he’s defending the police officer who acted well outside the law and attacked someone who originally was minding his own business. Moreover, what’s most surprising isn’t that Goff used excessive force during his arrest; it’s that he got caught in the first place and was actually held to account for his crime.

Indeed, I highly doubt Goff’s behavior even would have come to light if it wasn’t witnessed by another civilian at the scene.

In short, the use of excessive force is routine on far too many police forces. Just ask Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo, or the family of hometown boy Jamie Dean.

We can be somewhat relieved that David Goff was charged and convicted, but this merely should be the beginning.

If we must have a public police force, justice will only be served if Goff is permanently relieved of duty and taxpayers are no longer fleeced to subsidize acknowledged criminal behavior within the ranks of those ostensibly employed to fight crime.

Trevor Bothwell, Dowell