Officer
suspended for leaving gun unattended
.40-caliber weapon found in
pickup bed by civilian
AUSTIN (KXAN) - An Austin
police officer was suspended for a day after his off-duty handgun fell from the
tailgate of his pickup truck and landed in the parking lot of a city park.
Police Chief Art Acevedo said
in his suspension memo that Officer Cameron Caldwell had just returned to his
truck from a mountain-bike ride in Walnut Creek Park on Aug. 9. He apparently
left the .40-caliber pistol and holster on the tailgate after unpacking his
backpack, the memo said.
A park visitor found the weapon
and called police.
Acevedo said the officer
violated the department rule requiring officers to "ensure that all
firearms and ammunition are secured in a manner that will keep them
inaccessible and irresponsible adults ..."
Under city rules, officers may
use vacations or holidays to serve a suspension of three days or less with no
loss of salary or break in service. If an officer chooses that option, the
suspension cannot be appealed.
The rules also allows an
officer to appeal the suspension to an arbitrator or the civil service
commission. If the suspension is overturned, the officer will not lose pay for
the time of the suspension
