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- "Short temper, unethical behavior"
- S'side officers feared for "physical
- safety" with Anderson at the helm
- SUNNYSIDE (11-26-99)--Sunnyside police officers told investigators they "feared for their physical safety" as they worked for former Police Chief Wally Anderson, according to a press release by Councilman Chad Werkhoven.
- Werkhoven said a written report by paid prosecutor Gary Cuillier outlined facts about Anderson's behavior which were released to the press Nov. 22. But that report never saw daylight.
- In addition, the report wasn't complete, Werkhoven said.
- "(Cuillier) verbally revealed to us instances of (the chief's) ethical violations, officers who feared for their physical safety, short temper, inappropriate language, intimidation and more. In 'action by inaction', the Council did not publicly release that information," Werkhoven said today.
- "In my mind, I felt that the City Staff had ample information to make a decision and that publicly releasing that additional information would be like kicking a man who was already down. In retrospect, I feel that all of the information should have been released at that time," said the councilman.
- Werkhoven chided the Daily Sun News for refusing to print what was in the written report it received from the city.
- "It's easy to see why some people choose to blame members of the City Council for being "vindictive and vengeful" when the Daily Sun News only prints half the story," Werkhoven said.
- Werkhoven said that, in the entire Anderson matter, the Council's involvement was limited to a decision to okay the request by Acting City Mgr. Mark Kunkler to launch a probe using a paid, independent counsel. City staff chose Cuillier, a Yakima attorney, to do that job.
- "After interviewing over 33 witnesses, (Cuillier) reported back to the City Council in an executive session. He presented us with a report detailing his findings on the four original accusations," Werkhoven said.
- But it appears Cuillier decided to deliver verbally the scariest indictments against Anderson's leadership, items which were never released to the public. So far.
- The chief resigned Nov. 18. Werkhoven urged citizens to call city councilmen when they have questions about this or any other topic--to get them answered one-on-one, to prevent "filtering" by what the press chooses to write and what it chooses to omit.
- Click q for the full text of Werkhoven's letter to the YVN editor.