A year ago, the Phoenix Police Department did something it has rarely done — it fired a cop who shot and killed a civilian. Now that officer is suing the department over his dismissal, claiming his civil rights were violated.
Jesse Johnson was one of three Phoenix police officers involved in the killing of 34-year-old Ali Osman, a Somali refugee who was allegedly throwing rocks at them. Osman’s death generated outrage in Phoenix and led to a $5.5 million settlement from the city. Ultimately, then-interim police Chief Michael Sullivan canned Johnson for violating the department’s “sanctity of life” policy.
In a federal lawsuit filed April 18 — coincidentally, Sullivan’s last day on the job — Johnson argues that his firing was unconstitutional, arbitrary and a violation of his “due process rights.” He’s seeking damages for the effect on his reputation, lost income and the loss of his constitutional rights, as well as for “humiliation” and “emotional distress.”…