By Police1 Staff
LONE TREE, Colo. — A Colorado officer was fired after coming back to work from an injury in an accident that may have been caused by a seizure.
KDVR reports that former Lone Tree Officer Robert Chamberlain was responding to a burglary call on Nov. 30 when he got into a crash. Doctors found that Chamberlain suffered a brain bleed and five fractured vertebrae.
Chamberlain, 41, said he was bleeding from his mouth and wouldn’t regain consciousness for two days. The day before the accident, Chamberlain said he and his partner had carbon monoxide poisoning, which the doctors said can cause seizures, according to KCNC-TV.
Last month, Chamberlain returned to work for light duty and was handed a termination letter. The letter stated that Chamberlain exhausted all of his leave time due to the crash and a previous issue earlier that year.
“In this current climate,” Chief Kirk Wilson wrote, “it is imperative that we remain at full staff in the police department as much as possible. The absence of a full-time police officer for eight months’ time has resulted in the department being short staffed on shifts, which creates safety concerns for our other officers… We can no longer hold your position vacant.”
“Because your Family Medical Leave Act has long since been exhausted and you are unable to return to full duty at this time or the immediate future, we can no longer hold your position vacant,” the termination letter read.
According to the letter, Chamberlain was given eight months leave, three for the accident and five after he found the body of a young person who died by suicide last summer. Chamberlain insisted he was ready to work soon after the suicide, but the city said he couldn’t return to work until he was cleared by a doctor.
Chamberlain’s wife said the chief told her that the officer’s accident “wasn’t that severe” and that the department isn’t “liable for this.” The department denied worker’s compensation to the officer.
The now former officer said he is shocked that he is no longer working his dream job and has hired an attorney.
“I put myself out there on the line for 10 years, and I just get booted out the door because I got injured on the job,” he said. “I hope this doesn’t happen to the brothers I worked with.”
The city of Lone Tree and chief declined to comment on the situation due to it being a personnel matter.
“The City of Lone Tree is aware of recent allegations being made by former Officer Robert Chamberlain,” a statement from the PD said. “While the City would like to substantively respond as to what transpired, because this involves a personnel matter the City unfortunately cannot comment further.”