14 DAY TRIAL // 45-year-old police officer Ken Qualls will be looking for another job, following a misdirected public urination ticket.
Ashley Warden was first charged with a public urination complaint, which was later changed to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, as her 3-year-old son was caught trying to urinate in public.
Ashley's ticket is dated November 4, 2012. The toddler didn't perform the act on a public street, but on the family's front yard.
A hearing was held on November 14 in Piedmont, Oklahoma to evaluate Qualls' actions. According to City Manager Jim Crosby, the agent had been terminated from his duties on Friday, November 16.
The Examiner reports that he is, however appealing Crosby's decision, having already enlisted the services of Attorney Jarrod Leaman.
Qualls had been with the Piedmont PD for over a year, following more than 24 years working in law enforcement.
Dillan's mother had to pay $2,500 (€1,946) after her young boy, led by her teenage son, was directed to the yard, where he lowered his pants in plain sight. The older boy led him to a spot in the yard in front of their home, located on 4505 Ryan Drive, in Piedmont.
In fact, Dillan did not do his duty on the front yard, as Qualls spotted him dropping his pants and was there to stop him. Qualls admitted to not actually having witnessed public urination taking place.
The allegations of public urination and contributing to the delinquency of a minor were dropped by the Canadian County district attorney's office. The fine will not be enforced and prosecutors will not be pursuing initial charges brought against the mother.
As the case was made public by international press outlets, the police department was flooded with complaints coming from residents of Canada, England and Australia, Crosby describes in a report by NewsOk.
“Of course we did receive a lot of notoriety over that,” he says.