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SANDY — The Peace Officer Standards and Training council (POST) took disciplinary action against 27 current and former law enforcement officers from 15 agencies across Utah on Monday.
POST council members revoked the certification of eight officers for assault, possession of a controlled substance, theft and lying under a law enforcement oath, known as Garrity.
Seventeen other officers were suspended from duty for a period of nine months to an indefinite amount of time. Seven of those suspensions went to officers found guilty of driving under the influence.
Former Midvale Police Sgt. John Salazar received a two-year-suspension of his certification for driving drunk through a Holladay neighborhood in November of 2009. While driving an unmarked Midvale police car, Salazar sideswiped and damaged a couple of parked cars and ended up totaling the department's vehicle.
Salazar resigned from the Midvale Police Department and has since retired from law enforcement.
Another DUI-related suspension went to former West Valley Police Lt. Kory Newbold. In February of this year, a UHP trooper spotted Newbold's car weaving across the street and speeding through South Salt Lake. The council suspended Newbold for nine months. He, too, has retired.
Former Farmington Police Lt. Shane Whitaker earned a one-year suspension from POST for soliciting a prostitute. Whitaker was second in command at the department when he was arrested in an undercover prostitution sting at a Layton hotel in July. Whitaker resigned from the Farmington Police Department.
Certifications were revoked against the following officers: Jerome Watson of the Pleasant Grove Police Department for assault; Lyle T. Freeman from the Department of Corrections for theft; Kevin L. Francis of Hurricane Police Department for possession of a controlled substance; Nathan A. Barnes of Corrections for theft; Jesse L. Barlow of the Hildale City Police Department for lying on a POST application and lying under Garrity; Lance Greener of Carbon County Sheriff's Office for custodial sexual relations; John Livingston of North Park Police Department for theft; and Centerfield police officer Jason Livingston for lying under Garrity while employed by the Sanpete County Sheriff's Office.
Suspensions were ordered for Kelly East of Roy Police Department for fitness of duty, indefinite; John Gerald Shiew of Carbon County Sheriff's Office for lying under Garrity, three years; Mark Baugh of Corrections for falsified statement, three years; Leisha G. Larson of Washington County Sheriff's Office for sexual conduct on duty, three years; Ellis Brady of Sanpete County Sheriff's Office for assault on a prisoner, two years; Scott Watson Smith of Orem Police Department for lying on POST application, two years; Brent Groth, unemployed, for lying on POST application, two years; John R. Dutson of Washington County Sheriff's Office for DUI, one year; Richard B. Thompson of Weber County Sheriff's Office for DUI, two years; David M. Morrey of Corrections for DUI, one year; Anthony Leyba, unemployed, for DUI, one year; Gregory Jolley of Corrections for DUI, one year; Angelia A. Cano of Davis County Sheriff's Office for criminal mischief, three months; and Justin G. Chambers of Weber State Academy for lying on POST application, three and a half years.
POST council also handed out two letters of caution.
E-mail: kjust@ksl.com
