A state trooper is appealing his firing by the Washington State Patrol for what the agency calls an unjustified shooting last April in Renton, reports KING5 News.
Trooper Jeff Laeuger, named a Trooper of the Year in 2009, fired the shots along Interstate 405 at a motorist who allegedly ran over his foot and then drove away (see the original Renton Patch story here).
KING 5 quoted State Patrol spokesman Bob Calkins saying Laeuger was fired because he took the shots as the suspect was leaving. “The vehicle was going away from Trooper Laeuger and he was not in danger at that time,” Calkins said.
But the state troopers' union says Laeuger felt his life was in danger, and called the decision to fire him “Monday morning quarterbacking.” The union said it will fight the firing, Trooper Mike Cheek told KING5.
The union said the patrol did not take into account Laeuger’s unblemished record -- he was named a Trooper of the Year in 2009 for auto theft arrests. Laeuger has appealed the firing to the State Patrol’s disciplinary review board.
For the full KING5 story, click here.
