By Police1 Staff
URBANDALE, Iowa — A sergeant is suing an Iowa city for the treatment he received before and after responding to an ambush shooting that left two officers dead.
Urbandale Police Sgt. Mark Jorgensen claims he’s faced disability discrimination, failure to accommodate his disorders, harassment and retaliation under the Iowa Civil Rights Act due to incidents before and after the police killings, the Des Moines Register reports.
In the 2016 shooting, gunman Scott Michael Green fatally shot Urbandale Officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony Beminio. He was found guilty and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life in prison.
According to the lawsuit, Jorgensen attempted to secure the crime scene after he found Martin fatally shot in his patrol car. Minutes after finding Martin, a call came in over the radio about Beminio. With the killer still on the loose, Jorgensen and three other officers investigated for several hours after their former police chief declined to deploy an emergency response team.
Jorgensen says he’s developed post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorder from responding to the killings and from the treatment he’s received from the city of Urbandale. His petition made complaints against former and current employees in the police department and human resources.
City spokesman Derek Zarn said he looks forward to working with Jorgensen to discuss his issues in a “fair and expedited approach.”
Jorgensen is seeking compensation for his alleged damages and injuries.