Former Robbins police Chief David Sheppard alleges in a lawsuit Mayor Darren Bryant interfered with police work including storage of evidence, hiring of officers and how to handle investigations.
In a federal lawsuit citing “concerning behavior,” Sheppard, who was fired by Bryant in April, alleges wrongful termination and violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act by Bryant and the village of Robbins.
Sheppard said he was hired in October 2021 to improve the department, which he said he did by hiring more police officers and decreasing major crime rates. But Sheppard said Bryant displayed “abuse of power” by interfering with his job.
“It’s like the mayor was fighting with me to get things back to the way they used to be,” Sheppard said.
Bryant said in a statement he and the village will “overcome this adversity through the legal process.”
“I will continue to lead the village with integrity, as I have led throughout my tenure thus far,” Bryant said. “I’m overly excited about the future we have with Interim Chief Carl Scott. The Village is moving foward.”
The lawsuit outlines four events that Sheppard said led to his termination.
One involved the dismissal of Deputy Chief Byron Redmond after Bryant saw a social media video in May 2022 that allegedly showed Redmond drinking alcohol with colleagues in his office while he was off duty, according to the lawsuit.
Sheppard said he wrote up a report in which he did not find grounds to fire Redmond because others engaged in similar behaviors, including senior village administrators he had seen drinking and offering alcoholic beverages within their offices, according to the lawsuit.
But Bryant fired Redmond without approval from Sheppard, the Village Board or the Police and Fire Commission, according to the lawsuit.
Another involved the investigation of three teenagers who allegedly stole a Kia and crashed into a vehicle, killing 70-year-old resident Donald Carter. As police were investigating the Kia theft in February, officers stored the vehicle inside the Robbins Public Works Department salt barn because state police had not yet processed it as evidence.
Bryant called Sheppard and told him the car had to be moved because it was blocking public works vehicles, according to the lawsuit, but Sheppard told Bryant the vehicle had to be stored inside to protect it from the elements.
The public works director said the vehicle wasn’t blocking the salt barn, but Bryant continued to ask for the car to be moved, according to the lawsuit.
Also in February, Bryant pushed for Frank Sanders, a 65-year-old retired police officer, to be hired as lieutenant, even though Sanders had not formally applied for the position or undergone a background check, according to the lawsuit.
Police officials learned Sanders exceeded the age limit for police officers under Illinois law, that there were questions about his termination from a part-time position at the Harvey Police Department and problems with his testing for the position, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges although Sheppard informed Bryant about these things, the mayor had Sanders was sworn in Feb. 28
The Robbins Police Department said Frank Sanders does not work for the department. Bryant said while Sanders was sworn in, he hasn’t started work.
“There were contingencies on his swearing in. But he had to belong to a department first in order to submit his name to the state for other update police credentials,” Bryant said.
Sanders said he had not read the lawsuit and declined to comment.
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The lawsuit also alleges Bryant misled police about where a shooting occurred during a Fourth of July fireworks display, according to the lawsuit.
Sheppard said he was at the firework display, with other police officers, when he heard the shots fired. Before dispatch could provide information, Sheppard said Bryant called him and told him where the shots were fired, which wasn’t the accurate location, according to the lawsuit.
In the lawsuit and an interview, Sheppard said he believed Bryant made the phone call to allow those involved to get away.
“It’s a combination of abuse of power. It’s always been this way: ‘If you get in our way, we will take care of you,’” Sheppard said.
In April, Sheppard reported Bryant’s actions to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice, the United States Attorney General, and others, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit states Sheppard was wrongfully terminated, his due process rights were violated and Sheppard suffered loss of reputation, pain and suffering, mental anguish, inconvenience and loss of wages and benefits.
“I wouldn’t have a problem returning, but I can’t report to the mayor. So we’d have to iron that out,” Sheppard said.
