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Spokane firefighter Todd Chism has been placed on unpaid layoff status pending the resolution of felony charges that he assaulted Washington State Patrol troopers in Stevens County last month.
City Administrator Ted Danek informed Chism, a lieutenant, of the change during an afternoon meeting at City Hall today, said city spokeswoman Marlene Feist. The change takes effect Friday. Chism earned $93,535 per year.
Chism had been on paid leave from the Spokane Fire Department since April 8, two days after an early-morning confrontation with two troopers alongside Highway 291 just outside the driveway to Chism’s home.
Unpaid layoff status means Chism is no longer employed by the city of Spokane but could be reinstated if felony charges are dropped or reduced to misdemeanors. That happened to Spokane police Detective Jay Mehring and Officer Jay Olsen, but Olsen then resigned before Chief Anne Kirkpatrick fired him.
Mehring and Olsen both received back pay for their time on unpaid layoff status because neither was convicted of a felony.
Reporter Meghann Cuniff writes about public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.
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YGBSM on May 14 at 11:19 a.m.
Olsen was never charged with carrying a concealed weapon into a bar, nor for discharging a firearm in the city, nor misappropriation of City property for personal business i.e. the bullets he used.
Different standards of justice.
Why dont we just contract out these services like everything else the city does?
lewis8457 on May 16 at 7:29 a.m.
Jay Olsen carrying a loaded weapon while drunk is against federal law.
It appears our federal justice system runs extremely slow.
it took them 4 years to come to the conclusion Otto was murdered. maybe they are working on the Olsen thing, we can only hope.
Chism your history.