Deputy police chief, former deputy chiefs sue Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A current Wichita deputy police chief and two former deputy chiefs are suing several groups and people, including the City of Wichita, the city manager, a city council member, the Fraternal Order of Police, and some current and former members of the Wichita Police Department.

Former Deputy Chiefs Wanda Givens and Chester Pinkston and current Deputy Chief Jose Salcido put the City on notice in September that they would sue if the issues they raised were not addressed.

They claim they suffered adverse employment actions connected to several cases, including how they tried to handle some controversial electronic and text messages between officers. They said they tried to deal with the officers in that case and in other cases in an appropriate manner but were hindered by the city manager and the City’s former human resource director.

Attorney James Thompson is representing the three. His complaint lists 12 counts and asks for damages in excess of $75,000 for each count.

“In addition to compensating the Deputy Chiefs for the damages they sustained as a part of this targeted and concerted effort to deprive them of their civil rights, livelihoods and reputations, they hope this lawsuit will provide much-needed transparency into what they believe is the unethical manner in which the City too often conducts business,” Thompson said.

In the lawsuit, Thompson said that the deputy chiefs attempted on numerous occasions to root out and deal with systemic issues and implement much-needed changes to create greater transparency, discipline, and accountability for the WPD.

But he said the defendants defamed and retaliated against them and created a hostile work environment.

Givens retired in January of 2022 after 34 years with the WPD. Pinkston left this month after 32 years with the WPD. Salcido has been with the department for 27 years and is still there. The three worked together as deputy chiefs under former Police Chief Gordon Ramsay.

Thompson’s complaint claims that the defendants conspired to drive out and remove the entire WPD executive staff in order to install new handpicked replacements who would be more pliable and willing to look the other way regarding issues like the violent and racist text messages, sexual harassment, the systemic racism created by the “Gang List” and other problems.

Wichita police chief, city manager discipline officers in texting scandal

Another claim is that Layton and Bezruki are the reason the officer involved in the fatal shooting of Andrew Finch got promoted. Givens had written a “skip letter” explaining why the officer should not be promoted. When the public complained about the promotion, the lawsuit alleges that Layton lied and blamed Givens, saying he did not have a copy of the skip letter. The lawsuit says the letter was in the officer’s personnel file and easily accessible to the city manager.

The deputy chiefs claim the WPD executive team warned Layton that Bezruki an “inappropriate relationship” with the FOP. But they say Layton did not overrule Bezruki when he “arbitrarily overturned grievances.” The lawsuit claims the FOP gave Bezruki gifts of expensive dinners and alcohol in exchange for preferential contracts and favors for FOP members.

“The definition of extortion — the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. It’s mindblowing that two current deputy chiefs of the Wichita Police Department have resorted to this tactic,” Frye said.

KSN News is reaching out to the City and some of the other defendants for their response.

”The City looks forward to vigorously defending its reputation in a court of law and providing evidence and witnesses that will counter the narrative that has been publicly shared to date,” Megan Lovely, City of Wichita communications manager, said.

Deputy police chief, former deputy chiefs sue Wichita

27 February 2023

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