Three Yakima officers suspended without pay

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Three Yakima police officers accused of improper conduct have been suspended without pay in a disciplinary action that falls short of what had been sought by the city's acting police chief.

Acting Police Chief Greg Copeland recommended terminating the three, but City Manager Don Cooper determined their previously clean records and contriteness in the investigation didn't merit such a penalty, city spokesman Randy Beehler said.

Neither Cooper nor Copeland returned calls Monday. According to a city news release announcing the suspensions, they would not be commenting.

One of the officers was suspended for a month, while the others were suspended for a week.

Officer Gary Garza was suspended for one month without pay for using "incomplete, inaccurate, and potentially false information" in a search warrant affidavit filed in February, the city said in its news release.

Officers Chad Urwin and Ryan Urlacher were suspended for one week after it was discovered they spent about $200 each on beer using a city credit card while in Spokane for training, according to the release.

Cooper "made it clear any additional violation would lead to termination," Beehler said.

Cooper decided the violation by Urwin and Urlacher was the result of confusion over policy rather than an intent to violate it, according to the news release. Cooper was quoted saying he doesn't believe Garza intentionally committed any wrongdoing.

"Officer Garza made a serious mistake in not exercising the appropriate level of care in completing the search warrant affidavit," Cooper said.

No mention is made of Copeland's recommendation in the news release, though the acting chief is quoted as saying the officers are "to be admired" for admitting their wrongdoing to city officials in the investigation.

"I'm confident that these three officers have learned important lessons from these experiences," Copeland said. "And I'm pleased that the YPD and the community will continue to benefit from their service."

Officers Urwin and Urlacher will have to refund the city the cost of the beer, which was purchased at restaurants including Boston Pizza and Hooter's. It is against city policy to purchase alcohol with city funds. Urwin will have to refund $195.34 and Urlacher's tab added up to $212.

The two also have been relieved of their duties as firearms instructors at the department, Beehler said. The two were in Spokane for firearms instruction training from June 12 to June 24 when they spent the money.

"We worked through the receipts with them and those are the numbers we came up with," Beehler said.

Garza has been a Yakima police officer since 1988. Urwin joined the force in 2003 after previously working with the Wapato Police Department. Urlacher has been a Yakima police officer since 2006 and previously worked for the Washington State Patrol.

* Contact Mike Faulk at 509-577-7675 or mfaulk@yakimaherald.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Mike_Faulk.