DALLAS - A Dallas police officer accused of kicking a handcuffed man, lying to supervisors and using a racial slur is back on the force after being fired.
It was a judge's decision, and Dallas police Chief David Brown said he's not happy about it. Protecting the shield and the integrity of the Dallas Police Department is why Brown said he fired Officer Clayton Woods.
"What is it saying to the community that this officer is back with us and we are having to put him back on the streets?" he said.
The officer was fired after he was caught lying.
"He was fired for being untruthful, and he admitted he made a serious mistake in being untruthful to supervisors," said Bob Gorskey, Woods' attorney.
Gorskey said Woods shouldnt have been fired because recently other officers who lied weren't terminated.
"We have documentation of other officers in which the department had given another chance after having probably more serious and more egreious untruful violations," he said.
But, Brown said he fired Woods not just because he lied, but because he had prior discipline problems with the department, including the use of excessive force and the use of a racial slur.
"The first being that he kicked a handcuffed African American male in the chest who was threatening suicide," Brown said. "The second was a couple of years later, he uses the 'N' word with an ex-girlfriend."
Brown said Woods was also disciplined for harrassing another ex-girfriend. He was warned in 2008 if he violated policy again he would be fired.
"This is an issue of how many second chances does an officer get to seriously violate our rules," he said.
Woods attorney said his client has learned his lesson.
Brown plans to appeal to a district court to allow him to fire Woods for good.
