Embattled Kauai police chief accused of ‘punishing’ officers who found his lost service gun
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A month after embattled KPD Chief Todd Raybuck lost his loaded service weapon, the two officers who found it are formally accusing him of retaliation.
The complaints allege Raybuck’s actions not only compromised the officers’ careers, but also jeopardize the safety of people the department is sworn to protect, HNN Investigates found.
SHOPO spokesperson Dustin DeRollo said the accusations are troubling.
“You have the most powerful person in the police department. He did something wrong,” DeRollo said. “And now he’s punishing the employees who just did their job.”
Two Kauai detectives filed formal complaints claiming to be targets of retaliation after inadvertently getting tangled up in an investigation centered around the chief losing his gun.
On Friday, the police commission voted to assign the case to a county investigator.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- KPD chief acknowledges ‘serious nature’ of losing his department-issued gun
- Law enforcement union accuses embattled KPD chief of downplaying lost gun incident
- Kauai police chief could face disciplinary action after losing his firearm for second time
This, after Raybuck left his loaded Glock wedged between the wall and a handicap assist bar inside a Kauai Police Department restroom the union says is accessible to the public.
“One found a firearm that was left unattended and turned it in. The other person is the person who received that firearm and booked it into evidence as required,” said DeRollo.
“Now they’re saying that they’re being retaliated against. That their personal careers are being compromised because they did the right thing.”
According to the complaint, one of the detectives who serves as a crisis negotiator recently submitted a training request to attend a conference essential to obtaining recertification.
HNN Investigates
That request was denied “citing manpower shortages.”
Meanwhile, the other detective who serves on the department’s two-member bomb squad was denied fireworks training for the same reason.
The document goes on to say after the detective checked with his chain of command there was no manpower shortages that would impact operations.
The detective appealed. DeRollo says he “was told by the chief’s office that he can choose either to do the fireworks training or to do another training. That one happened to be a requirement for being a member of the bomb squad.”
Without that certification, the union says he couldn’t do his job.
The complaint goes on to list more than a dozen other officers who got the go ahead to attend off island and out of state training courses.
HNN Investigates asked the chief to respond to these allegations in an on-camera interview.
In a statement, a spokesperson said Raybuck recently attended a work conference and is currently out of the office. He’s expected to return the week of May 12.
The emailed statement continued: “As Chief Raybuck has not been provided copies of the complaints, he is not able to comment on the contents. However, he stated that allegations of retaliation against any KPD employee are categorically false.”
As the investigation into the chief’s lost gun begins and the retaliation complaints are reviewed, the union says all eyes are on the police commission.
“The one thing we do know is there’s zero dispute as to whether or not he broke department policy by leaving his loaded firearm in a restroom,” said DeRollo.
“They want to see if they’re going to hold the highest member of the police department accountable, just like they would any other employee.
There’s no word on how long the police commission’s investigation into the chief’s lost gun might take. If it’s determined disciplinary action is needed, Raybuck could face anything from a suspension to termination, DeRollo told Hawaii News Now.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
