05/05/2006

Records detail deputy's contacts

BY IAN C. STOREY

istorey@record-eagle.com

SUTTONS BAY — A fired Leelanau County sheriff's deputy blames department politics and a contentious relationship with the sheriff for his dismissal last month.

But sheriff's officials said Bruce Beeker was dismissed following an internal probe of scores of alleged "inappropriate" contacts with a woman Beeker investigated as an assault suspect.

Leelanau Undersheriff Scott Wooters' investigation found Beeker, 37, an 11-year department veteran with a lengthy history of disciplinary problems, became "immediately familiar" with Suttons Bay resident Shari Prevost, 35, while Beeker investigated her in a domestic violence case.

Prevost visited Beeker at his residence and the two allegedly had six face-to-face contacts and approximately 85 phone contacts — calls, text messages and attempted calls — between them from March 18, the day the assault was reported, to April 11.

Beeker was fired in part for allegedly convincing a junior officer not to arrest Prevost on March 18, when deputies responded to a complaint that she assaulted her boyfriend, telling his co-worker "I'll take the heat," according to documents obtained by the Record-Eagle through the state's Freedom of Information Act.

The sheriff's complaint against Beeker alleges he failed to document reasons for not making an arrest, "contrary to department policy and state law."

The code of conduct violation alleges Beeker had enough information during the March 18 complaint, including "an admission by the suspect of wrongdoing," to justify an arrest.

Prevost pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence and was sentenced on April 21.

Beeker allegedly admitted to Wooters he told Prevost "when this is over maybe we can go four-wheeling sometime," a comment that prompted officials to consider it a date request.

"Your inappropriate contacts with a criminal suspect and conduct on her behalf showed an appalling disregard for your duties and responsibilities as a law enforcement deputy," Sheriff Mike Oltersdorf wrote in Beeker's letter of termination. "Your misconduct demonstrated not only a violation of your Oath of Office, as well as the Code of Conduct, but a basic lack of integrity."

Beeker contends he did nothing inappropriate.

"At no point in time was there any type of a relationship other than a professional relationship," he said. "Unfortunately, working in a small department, politics prevail immensely and there is no doubt there is a past history between the sheriff and myself."

Beeker, who joined the department in 1995, was twice suspended without pay following sexual harassment allegations, including three days in 1997 and 15 days in 1999.

He was suspended in 1999 after he allegedly took a photo of a naked male co-worker when the two attended a wedding in Hawaii and later showed it to others in the sheriff's department, including two female associates.

Beeker was issued written warnings or counseled for other incidents during his tenure, including having unauthorized personnel in his patrol vehicle, losing his badge in 2001, and failing to show up for training.

But Beeker also was tabbed by Oltersdorf as Leelanau County's "Deputy of the Year" in 2001.

Prevost acknowledged she met Beeker in person, but said the number of contacts alleged by Wooters in his report was "inflated."

"There was no relationship, but I did stop by his house for a 10-minute period and I did call him," she said. "I called him because I was a nervous wreck, but there was no relationship at all and he did not ask me out on a date."

Wooters said Beeker was "deceptive and untruthful" in his responses to direct questions during the investigation, which is being challenged by a union grievance was filed on Beeker's behalf on April 25 that calls the termination "excessive" and not for "just cause."

Beeker said the attempted phone contacts with Prevost that Wooters examined lacked context.

"I was very surprised to realize the total number calls exchanged, but almost half were two minutes or less, which means they were calls that didn't connect or a message was left," said Beeker.

See related stories:

• Deputy fired over consensual relationship - April 22, 2006
• Deputy fired for violating policies - April 20, 2006
• Sheriff mum on suspension - April 14, 2006