BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Ah, the Critical Mass cop. He received training to manage his anger, then was promoted...

And he assaulted his ex-girlfriend previously as well. I figured we'd be hearing from him again.

he's also the one that during his cprb hearing for how he treated critical mass he was listening to guns n roses on his ipod at full blast

a real professional

I remember that when I was in high school my dad passed along a bit of wisdom...

"Those bullies and meatheads in the hallways? Wait until you're my age and they're all cops."

he's also the one that during his cprb hearing for how he treated critical mass he was listening to guns n roses on his ipod at full blast

a real professional

Well, D'uh.

Slash is one of the best guitarist around.

here's the video from wqed if anyone wants a blast from the past

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW6qWqU84h8

I'm gonna puke.

Thank you for that link.

Unfortunately I will be in Colorado this Friday.

O.M.G. the modernettes!

he's a real class act - very level headed. i remember people saying that the other cops were telling him to calm down

dude.... does nathan brubaker that was in the video read this blog? he was my mac genius the other night the apple store. dude, where's my macbook pro???

here's an update:

so far, charge reduced to simple assault from aggravated assault

http://www.wpxi.com/news/22017174/detail.html

Must be nice getting special treatment.

charge reduced to simple assault from aggravated assault

Sote taht simple assault is a misdemeanor and aggravated assault a felony.

I'm guessing that this will allow us to continue to enjoy service and protection from Mr Hlavac. Merry Christmas!

Bah humbug!!!!!

I am just going to keep my "pseudo-mouth" shut at this point, because I'd probably get kicked off the board if I vented my actual thoughts about that prick.

The papers today say that he has been suspended. One of the papers said that he was suspended pending termination. I think it has to do with his previously scheduled use of vacation time around the holidays.

Did anyone else pick up on the fact that the woman he is accused of assaulting is only 23? She's almost 20 years younger than he is.

That age difference may make him feel virile. It makes him all the more creepy to me.

They can't possibly make this guy unemployed soon enough. I just hope to god someone is taking into consideration some means of making sure this idiot doesn't climb a building with a rifle. Thought of that? Forget creepy, F**king scary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b-t3iC1_G0

Listen to what Dan O'hara says. Is it just me, or is there a bit of hostility there?

Sure. He's the president of a "fraternal order" with deep streams of racism, misogyny, and general derision of the public who pays their salaries. I know, I'm related by marriage to a cop. Hear him stress "women's groups..."? His title may as well be "Grand Dragon".

Both of those idiots are embarrassments to the vast majority of police officers that are actual humans doing their best to protect the public.

Mmm, romantic idealism. It's been my experience that the vast majority of human beings are idiots who are embarrassments to the species, and police officers reflect that cross section. Only a thimblefull of humanity represents the best of the species. Ha, Christmas is over, kids!

Wait... So this ex-girlfriend is 23 years old.. How old is their lovechild?

looks like the kid is 3, he's 41

So, simple math, he was 38ish, she half that, when they created the kid. No data on how much practice they had beforehand. Can you say cradlerobbing?

He's history, unless the police review board or some other entity works its magic. He was fired yesterday, according to the papers today.

its official:

MEDIA ADVISORY

MAYOR STATEMENT ON TERMINATION OF SERGEANT EUGENE HLAVAC

(PITTSBURGH) January 7, 2010 Public Safety Director Michael Huss today terminated Pittsburgh Police Sergeant Eugene Hlavac following an internal investigation into his Dec. 19th arrest in which he was charged with the crime of aggravated assault for dislocating the jaw of his former girlfriend.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today issued the following statement:

"Officer Hlavac was suspended following his arrest, and a thorough internal OMI investigation was conducted. Investigators interviewed witnesses and heard Mr. Hlavac's account of the story. Mr. Hlavac was also given the opportunity to explain the incident to Public Safety Director Michael Huss. In this case, the evidence revealed by the internal investigation speaks for itself and Mr. Hlavac has been officially terminated effective today. Our zero-tolerance domestic abuse policy has worked to protect the public from those who are placed in positions of trust, and abuse that trust.

Most all of our City employees do great work on behalf of the residents, and it is a shame that the actions of a few, affect the good work of the whole. One of my main duties as Mayor is to make sure that residents feel safe in the presence of all City employees, be it an officer, a Citiparks employee, a school crossing guard, a firefighter, or a snow plow truck operator. Tomorrow, I will be introducing to City Council an ordinance which expands our zero-tolerance domestic abuse policy to all City employees.

It is my goal to maintain and continue to build a reliable and quality workforce. In April of 2008, I implemented the City's first-ever policy for pre-employment and promotional background investigations. We are in productive discussions with the City's fire union and will soon be implementing mandatory drug testing for City firefighters.

Domestic abuse is a crime, and by expanding our zero-tolerance policy Citywide, implementing mandatory background investigations on City employees, and conducting drug tests on City firefighters, we are restoring the public's trust and confidence in the good work that our employees perform each and every day in our neighborhood streets."

Date: Jan. 7, 2009

Contact: Joanna Doven

412-255-2694

(cell) 412-475-2387

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10270/1090746-100.stm

He is back on the force without losing any seniority. Full back pay from the date he was terminated, plus benefits. Wow...so much for all that tough talk and zero tolerance crap.

All abuse issues aside, if I was a city taxpayer, I'd be really pissed off about the full back pay. How did they authorize all that, again?

Nine months of salary and benefits would have painted how many miles of sharrows?

Jesus Fucking Christ how does this happen? In other news, a cop took the cruiser to a charity car wash and was fired. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/sep/22/facebook-photos-lead-moncks-corner-police-officers/

If he had tased someone or shot a dog, he would've kept his job.

Man I'm so tired of reading stories about cops getting away with shit like this. And what really bothers me are the ones i read about some families poor dog being gunned down by some trigger happy asshole cop. I honestly feel less safe when the police are near me. Never know when I might get hassled for just standing there. Just ask that girl that got beat during the G-20 because she didn't move her bike fast enough how safe she feels around cops.

What am I missing about arbitration? From what I know, all bets are off. It's behind closed doors, off the record. *Anything* can get talked about, no gotta-do-it-this-ways, no rules, nothing. There had to be an arbitrator on the city's side, too, right?

Where's the backbone here? Why can't s/he start with an unfaltering "We Don't Owe You A Damn Thing, We're Not Giving You A Damn Thing, Just Be Happy You're Getting Your Job Back, Take It Or Leave It"?

They could have saved the city soooo much here.

I dunno. He was acquitted of assault.

I'm not sure how that acquittal happened - I can guess, but it's just a guess. Can't fire a unionized employee because of a guess.

My confusion is due to the mayor's office press release. They sure as heck seem to be saying that his employment was terminated as a result of an internal investigation; the outcome of a subsequent criminal hearing should have no bearing on that termination.

If he'd been suspended without pay while the hearing was underway, I'd be okay with this outcome. But he _was_ fired, unless the press release was flat-out wrong.

Something smells. And I'd love to hear what Mayor Luke's office has to say about this...

Summary of articles from his trial:

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/video/23200101/detail.html - april 19, 2010

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10110/1051852-53.stm - april 20, 2010

http://kdka.com/local/Eugene.Hlavac.trial.2.1644858.html - april 20, 2010

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_677374.html - april 21, 2010

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10112/1052389-53.stm - april 22, 2010

He was found "not guilty" (though he calls himself innocent) based on the testimony of a witness across the street who said he was acting in self defense. When they went to the ER he told them she fell down the stairs and was real clumsy so she probably hit a wall. At his trial, I guess to jibe with what some witness says, he said he was acting in self defense. The DA asked if him if her jaw became dislocated after it ran into his fist. He said she dislocated it when she was attacking him. The one article said the witness who lives across the street didn't know the guy, and didn't know he was a cop at the time. I find this very difficult to believe, seeing as he was wearing a police uniform at the time. Not a very perceptive witness if you ask me. The whole thing sounds fishy as hell.

311 submission, if it matters at all.

Eugene Hlavac was fired from the city police force 9 months ago, but was recently acquitted of the domestic violence charge which brought the investigation. Hlavac has a long history of excessive force against cyclists and his ex-girlfriend. Mayor Ravenstahl said on January 7 2010, "Our zero-tolerance domestic abuse policy has worked to protect the public from those who are placed in positions of trust, and abuse that trust."

Hlavac, and all state personnel, should be held to higher standards. The internal investigation and the court proceedings should hold no bearing on each other. The internal investigation found that Hlavac was unfit for duty through the "zero-tolerance domestic abuse policy" of the city. The acquittal is a separate civil proceeding and does not hold the weight to reverse a zero-tolerance policy.

Hlavac has done much to tarnish the reputation of the city police. By returning him to the force, you are slapping your constituents in the face.

These proceedings smell of wrongdoing. I, and others, would like a personal response to this action.

I just noticed I mistook "civil" for "criminal". Whoops.

Well, he *was* acquitted. That has to count for something. In general, I think if you lose your job because you're accused of a crime, that you should get some compensation if you're acquitted.

Maybe he shouldn't have been acquitted, but that's a different issue.

This is why I am not a lawyer. Or an arbitrator.

People in non-represented positions would/could have been told to take a hike, if there was even a HINT of wrong-doing, even if innocent. "Yeah, sure, you're innocent, you're fired anyway, and have fun trying to find work in your field with your history. KMAGYOYO"

Lyle - you've missed the point. He was acquitted in a public criminal trial, so he doesn't have to go to jail. He was fired as a result of a CLOSED internal investigation. The conditions that resulted in his termination (the internal investigation) have remained unchanged, however his termination is all of a sudden reversed.

Him getting his job back as a result of the criminal case results makes as much sense as him getting sent to jail based solely on his employer's internal investigation. The two are related in that they concern the same man, but that is where it ends.

I gotta believe karma will balance out on this guy - you can't bring that much nasty into the world without getting some of it all over yourself.

The City of Pgh released a statement today that they are appealing the arbitrator’s decision and they are not allowing this guy back to work.

@Greasefoot: got a link? Not that I doubt you, I just like reading these things myself...

It was a statement from the Public Safety Director Michael Huss to Rick Earle of WPXI.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/25192039/detail.html

Thanks.

Disturbing passage: "A neutral arbiter and a union representative voted to reinstate Hlavac, while Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson voted against that.".

If I get fired, I sure hope _my_ boss can be overruled by a couple of people who don't actually work for my company.

I wonder how often the police rep and the union rep agree. Assuming zero, which to me is plausible, that makes the arbitration panel equivalent to a single judge. Why use *that* structure?

I’m not positive but I recall the arbitration hearing process was a contract concession Mayor Murphy agreed to for the Police & Fire department union votes back in the 90's.

There was a federal investigation into the contracts for votes allegations but nothing was ever proven.

those two unions have done more to cripple this city than almost anything else. sad that they represent people who's job description is to protect the city.

@stu: I wonder how often the police rep and the union rep agree. Assuming zero, which to me is plausible, that makes the arbitration panel equivalent to a single judge. Why use *that* structure?

First, any time the two reps agree, it isn't going to go to arbitration, by definition.

I think arbitration has a number of advantages - compared to a hearing, it's quick and cheap. Compared to any political process, the repercussions of a decision are limited. Once it's over, it's over.

In this case, I would have liked it if Hlavic was out before this incident, of course. It would have been good for him to have been gone a long time ago.

But given that he wasn't out before this, the evidence in this particular incident? It is hard to imagine any honest process about this incident leading to his dismissal.

One uninvolved witness isn't strong evidence, but it is the strongest evidence. When that witness's testimony is consistent with the testimony of one of people in the altercation, you have to go with what the witness says.

You can't fire a guy because somebody got hurt while they were assaulting him.

That is what the witness claims. I'm don't know if Hlavak's ex-girlfriend gave testimony in court - or in his police hearing - that contradicted that.

What if one person changes their story to match with what the witness was saying? Remember, he told ER doctors that she was clumsy and fell down the stairs. Does he have the wife-beater Cliffs notes? Come on.

This is not the first time he has been accused of domestic violence.

A zero tolerance policy is total bs if you need to be convicted in a criminal court of a crime in order for it to kick in. I bet if the cops fail some drug test they don't have to be convicted of a drug related crime in order to be punished.

If a cop fails a drug test? I would hope that he isn't fired without a confirmation of that failure. A zero tolerance policy would be total bs it it were otherwise.

Did Hlavak lie at the hospital? There were newspaper reports that he did.

Here's from the PG report of the girlfriend's testimony, though:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10110/1051852-53.stm

Later, when Ms. Maughan went to the hospital, she told emergency workers she fell down the steps. While she was there, Mr. Hlavac arrived, insisting that he see her, Ms. Maughan said. A series of text messages ensued.

It sounds to me like the chronology doesn't include Hlavak lying.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10112/1052389-53.stm

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl noted that the city's burden of proof in arbitration is lower than a prosecutor's burden in a criminal case. "We think we have a strong case," the mayor said. "We think our decision was the proper one, and we intend to vigorously pursue that through the arbitration process."

Maybe the city didn't meet whatever burden of proof for arbitration?

Now it might be that on appeal, Hlavak will be dismissed. But I'm not sure of that. I'm not sure the process is fair, either way.

But I'm also not convinced that there is evidence in this incident of anything other than what Hlavak is claiming, either.

It would have been good if Hlavak were gone before this.

If a cop fails a drug test? I would hope that he isn't fired without a confirmation of that failure. A zero tolerance policy would be total bs it it were otherwise.

I didn't say he/she should be fired - I think I used the word punished (suspended/demoted/madatory rehab/further monitoring/etc). A drug test isn't going to get you convicted of a crime, but a test, or several (pattern of failed tests?), should be enough for an employer to take action against you, in whatever form that is. Just because the evidence doesn't extend to "beyond a resonable doubt" in whatever qualifies as a crime in PA, doesn't mean this guy should be protecting and serving the citizens of Pittsburgh.

From http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_677243.html

A physician's assistant testified that Hlavac, who followed Maughan to the hospital, said Maughan was "clumsy" and fell down the stairs in the past. Maughan said she lied about her injuries initially because she was frightened of Hlavac.

Yes, she was so clumsy her face fell into his fist.

Maybe the city didn't meet whatever burden of proof for arbitration?

I assume they did, since you know, the guy was actually fired way back in Jan.

Just because the evidence doesn't extend to "beyond a resonable doubt" in whatever qualifies as a crime in PA, doesn't mean this guy should be protecting and serving the citizens of Pittsburgh.

What I'm saying is that the "preponderance of evidence" that they would use in a civil case (and possibly an arbitration?), doesn't seem to go against Hlavak.

"She's clumsy and fell down the stairs before..." is possibly a true statement. I'm saying this because I'm clumsy and have fallen down the stairs before. So Hlavak said something not relevant that he knew would be misleading.

Whoever gave you the impression that they "fired" Hlavak last January knew damn well he couldn't be dismissed without arbitration. Did they know they didn't have enough evidence even for arbitration? I dunno.

I'm cynical.

The fact that they are having trouble firing him for what all evidence points to as a clumsy assault on him? No big thing.

I dislike firing anyone on the basis of unsubstantiated accusations, no matter how ugly and plausible those accusations sound. In this case the accusations aren't even unsubstantiated, they are contradicted by evidence.

Do I have a hunch he may have manufactured that evidence? Sure. I can think of a few ways he might have done that. I'll take evidence over hunches and might-haves.

I think it is horrid that Hlavak was not fired on the merits of his performance as a policeman. That is awful.

Why is it that the CRB can't fire him for being a bad cop? THAT is what needs to fixed.

Whoever gave you the impression that they "fired" Hlavak last January knew damn well he couldn't be dismissed without arbitration. Did they know they didn't have enough evidence even for arbitration? I dunno.

The Mayor terminated him, and issued a press release, which is on the first page of this very thread. It mentioned an internal investigation and evidence suggesting there was grounds for termination. Maybe that evidence wasn't allowed in court, maybe stories changed, I have no idea. It seems there was once enough to fire him, and now there is not? I don't quite understand.

The mayor said last January: Mr. Hlavac has been officially terminated effective today

Mr Mayor is not the sharpest quill on the goose, but he KNEW that this would go to arbitration when he said that.

Other news at the time, notably this (also from the first page) ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b-t3iC1_G0

... made it clear that arbitration was going to happen, and even that it would happen after the criminal case was tried.

Do you think the mayor was only talking trash when talked about the termination and the rest of his statement was solid truth? Or do you think the part of the mayor's statement about the inquiry and the evidence were at the same level of veracity as the "termination"?

The mayor's statement, as quoted on the first page of this thread, seems carefully worded to avoid being inaccurate.

"Officer Hlavac was suspended following his arrest, and a thorough internal OMI investigation was conducted. Investigators interviewed witnesses and heard Mr. Hlavac's account of the story. Mr. Hlavac was also given the opportunity to explain the incident to Public Safety Director Michael Huss."

That seems purely factual.

"In this case, the evidence revealed by the internal investigation speaks for itself"

In other words, the mayor has no comment on the evidence, whatever it is.

"and Mr. Hlavac has been officially terminated effective today."

Official termination sounds final, but apparently it's just the first step in a process that eventually leads to arbitration.

"Our zero-tolerance domestic abuse policy has worked to protect the public from those who are placed in positions of trust, and abuse that trust."

The P-G reports that this zero-tolerance policy is no longer in effect. But the policy protected the public to some extent while it lasted (got Officer Hlavac off the streets for a while, at least).

The rest of the mayor's statement is general policy info, so I won't bother quoting it.

I think the mayor's statement was basically accurate, but spun to put the best face on the matter that he could.

Pretty nice set-up there at the police department.

Smack your girlfriend around, lie about it to medical staff, take a 6 month paid vacation, return to work.

Nice work if you can get it.

Where I work, if you don't work, you don't get paid. If I take two hours off to visit the dentist, I have to report two fewer hours on my timesheet, and I correspondingly get that much less in my paycheck.

OK, so the guy got his job back. Whatever the legalities or (lack of) sense there might be in that, I cannot in any way justify in my mind why he should get a friggin' cent of taxpayer money for services not rendered.

Union, bro.