Germantown officer
suspended five days for wreck in Memphis
A Germantown police officer was suspended five days without pay
Friday in connection with a pre-dawn traffic accident while he was on duty but
handling personal business outside the suburb earlier this month.
Senior officer T.D. Davis, who works the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift,
waived his right to an administrative hearing and "accepted responsibility
for his actions," according to paperwork associated with the disciplinary
action. He has three days to decide if he will appeal the decision.
Davis was charged with leaving his duty assignment and unsafe
operation of a vehicle in connection with the Feb. 1 accident involving one of
the department's new 2012 Chevrolet Tahoes. The two-car wreck occurred about
5:50 a.m. when Davis, who had left Germantown to take a set of car keys to his
wife at their Memphis home, disregarded a stop sign at Quince and Haddington.
The statement of charges against Davis said he left his district
without a supervisor's permission. Davis, who has been with the Germantown
Police Department about 13 years, lives in the general area of Quince and
Haddington.
A review of the patrol vehicle's in-car video showed Davis was
going 54 mph in a 35 mph zone northbound on Haddington. He slowed to 33 mph as
he approached the stop sign at Quince, disregarded the sign and struck a
westbound car on Quince. Deputy Chief Rodney Bright, who handled Davis' case
Friday morning, said he didn't have an estimate on the damage, but indicated it
was extensive.
In the Memphis police accident report, the driver of the second
car — Thelma L. Phillips of Memphis — said when the cars came to rest, Davis
came to her and asked if she was all right, apologized, said he "messed
up" and that he was calling for help.
Bright said the departmental violations were "out of
character" for the officer.
"He's a veteran officer with a lot of experience and very
professional in the way he does his job," Bright said.
