Officer feels abandoned by Forest Park Police Department after being shot in 2017

FOREST PARK, Ga. — A local police officer nearly died for his department and his community. But now that he has to resign after getting shot, he says his department is turning its back on him.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne was with the officer as he turned in his gear.

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Former Forest Park police Cpl. Timothy Sterrett says there are medical records he believes justify a medical retirement due to devastating injuries from getting shot in the line of duty. But it turns out, Forest Park doesn’t offer medical retirement.

He says he is hurt and angry.

Sterrett says Wednesday night, per city policy, he turned in his Forest Park police gear — including the gun that saved his life in 2017 when he was shot.

“It’s the one I wanna keep,” Sterrett said.

And he says he feels abandoned by the city he served in whose service he nearly died.

“The current administration basically told me that since the city does not have a policy or an SOP with regards to medical retirement that they will just accept my resignation and then call it a day. No pension. No benefits,” Sterrett said.

When asked how he felt, Sterrett answered, “Like (I was) stabbed in the back.”

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He says in 2017 he tried to help a motorcycle rider, James Jacob Bailey, who suddenly pulled a gun on him.

“The bullet entered in, it grazed through my chin, entered into the neck, bounced off the back of my cervical and then ricocheted inside my chest cavity,” Sterrett said.

He says Bailey died of a gunshot wound, but Sterrett has endured five neck surgeries — including spinal fusion — two eye surgeries and two nose surgeries, plus numerous other procedures.

A statement from the city says: “the city of Forest Park deeply respects and honors former officer Timothy Sterrett for his years of service as a valued and heroic member of the Forest Park Police Department. The restoration of Mr. Sterrett’s health to the greatest extent possible, following his wounding while on duty in 2017, was a vital priority of the city.”

“I was angry, bitter, disgusted,” Sterrett said.

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Sterrett says a medical evaluation indicated he did not demonstrate the ability to meet the physical demand requirements of the job description.

He says he’d have taken a permanent desk job, but it wasn’t offered.

“I cannot possibly carry fifty pounds of gear,” Sterrett said.

The city’s statement says: “Mr. Sterrett and his legal counsel established a resolution with workers’ compensation. It adds, like many other municipalities throughout the state of Georgia and across the nation, the city does not have a medical retirement program.”

Sterrett said he received $61,000 through a workers’ compensation settlement that didn’t even cover all his expenses.

The statement suggests his personal decision to resign was completely voluntary.

Sterrett says his resignation letter said he was medically retiring.

Jeannette Cooper told Winne she’s with a benefits consulting firm called Segal and that some cities in Georgia offer a disability pension for police, and some don’t — it usually depends on what kind of plan a city has for its employees.

Clayton County police Chief Kevin Roberts told Winne he can confirm Clayton County does have a disability retirement for employees who qualify.  And at least one police officer has been awarded that in Roberts’ time as chief. “I’m confident that any public safety leader,” he said, “would want that benefit for their personnel.”

A spokesperson says Fulton County police officers who become totally disabled in the line of duty are entitled to a disability pension.

Channel 2 reached out to a number of agencies. Winne learned qualifying Atlanta police employees can get disability retirement, which makes them eligible for medical insurance as well.

Sterrett says he works from home now as an insurance investigator.

He is collecting donations to help offset costs.

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