Fired Lakewood officer fighting termination

Brian Wurts, who was president of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild when the union’s treasurer stole charitable donations made to the families of four slain police officers, told The News Tribune he was fired with no evidence of wrongdoing.

The police department issued a statement Wednesday saying only that  Wurts was terminated Dec. 28 for misconduct.

Wurts was president of the union at the time Officer Skeeter Timothy Manos was treasurer. Manos pleaded guilty to a federal charge of wire fraud in the theft of charitable donations made to the families of four slain Lakewood officers.

Wurts says he had nothing to do with the theft.

One of the officers killed in the 2009 ambush-style slaying was Tina Griswold, whose sister Tiffiny Ryan works in the Spokane Police Department’s records division.