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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Reinstated Fountain Hill Cop to Return on Monday

Though a unanimous Fountain Hill Borough Council disagrees, it appears that a police officer they fired will be back on the job on Monday. Grady Cunningham, Jr., was fired after a police surveillance tape showed up roughing up a petty criminal. He was also deceptive when questioned about the matter. But he's been reinstated, thanks to a favorable ruling in a binding arbitration. According to Chief Ed Bachert and Mayor Jose Rosado, Cunningham has indicated he'll be at work on Monday, though the Chief said he won't be allowed to patrol for the time being.

Will Lewis from Channel 69 was there, too, and got Mayor Rosado to explain what was happening in Spanish, too.

How cool is that!

Will Borough Council appeal this binding arbitration? Though Council went into executive session to discuss the ruling, Council President Larry Rapp said they would not be coming out to take official action. Their Solicitor was absent, too. So an appeal seems unlikely, given the costs and hurdles involved in appealing a binding arbitration.

There was no public hue or outcry at tonight's meeting, though word is only now beginning to get out to the public.

Reaction is mixed. One person at the meeting told me that Cunningham helped her when her brother had a serious fall and was injured. But another resident said he had words with Cunningham over his driving.

I have told you about his checkered history, and want you to know that I have been unable to contact him. I have reached out to him on Facebook, but have heard nothing.

Tonight was the first time to visit Fountain Hill, and I loved it there. First, I love borough government because most of the officials involved are just there to serve their communities and have no ambitions for higher office. Though it was a workshop meeting ona hot Summer night, all but one Council member was present. President Larry Rapp made sure to seek public comment before every matter on the agenda, not because he had to, but because he genuinely wanted to know what people thought.

In a discussion of a $200 appropriation for a child abuse investigator in the DA's office, Council member Carolee Gifford, the sole Republican on Council, wanted to give more. "It's for a good cause," answered Democrat Helen Halleman.

Democrats and Republicans seem to get a long much better in borough government than they do in Congress.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

progressive uniter - dem code word for bleeding heart liberal

Anonymous said...

I'm heading to Fountain Hill on Monday to litter and jaywalk. Hopefully, I can take a quick beating from their department's finest, lawyer up, and retire on the backs of the fine citizens of Fountain Hill. I doubt I'll be the only one on the Fountain Hill liability gravy train as long as they keep this animal employed.

Anonymous said...

Why in the world did they agree to a binding arbitration deal with this creep? Not too smart and take heed all you local government representatives. Live and learn how not to do things. Unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

Fire him again for another reason and then dig in your heels! Get a real lawyer too.

Anonymous said...

He probably falsified his initial employment application. Do it!

Anonymous said...

So in an effort to get a minority recruit FH overlooks the backround of this clown. So much for affirmative action.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I certainly don't think there was an effort to select someone simply bc he is black, white or pink. There was n affirmative action. I think someone obviously screwed up.

dee said...

@3:45pm what does his tat have to do with anything? so you are saying if I have a tatoo of a smoking gun I'm a killer, did you ever stop to think my smoking gun may have nothing to do with any criminal activity maybe I choose to display art of a sport I enjoy like shooting.maybe I like to partake in boxing or another fighting sport and I choose to tatoo a saying on myself relating to the sport of fighting. Assume that is what you and many others of doing about this fine officer. fyi assume spells ass u me that is what you and many others are doing, so before you comment make sure you know the facts. dee

Bernie O'Hare said...

Dee, I don't think someone who roughs up a suspect and lies about it is a fine officer. I also think a tattoo that says "Fighting solves everything" is highly inappropriate on someone called a "peace" officer.

dee said...

Bernie I see no abuse in the video the officers gave command and the innocent buligernt drunk would not obey police are trained to get the innocent person to comply and that is what they did. You don,t the meaning of his tatoo, so stop thinking you do. It is art and he worked very hard to accomplice his sport. There I said it his tatoo is referring to a sport in which he is very good at. Stop judging

Bernie O'Hare said...

You obviously are tight with the guy, since you seem to know so much about him. The video shows abuse. You don't put a choke hold on a handcuffed man and throw him to the ground. You don't lie about it. And that tattoo should be removed.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I do not know this officer on a personal level, like I said I,m not related to him nor do we hang out or even have the same circle of friends. So once again you like many others ass u me something that is not true. As far as your comment on knowing so much about this officer maybe I check out a whole story and the person before I judge. Also it is no secret about the sport he has been doing for many years, if anyone would bother to check he has many awards for it, so I guess I just blew another assumetion into the water about me being tight with the guy. As far as removing his tattoo, I don't recall seeing it and like I said I myself had two run ins with this officer,where are these tattoos you are talking about? No need to answer that question I now know the answer because you made me aware of it, other wise I would have never known he had it. It must be placed somewhere on his body that can,t be seen when in uniform, but then again maybe it is tattooed across his forehead and I just missed it. And now lets get into the abuse issue, from what i s on the video there was no abuse. To bad they didnt

Bernie O'Hare said...

I checked him out pretty thoroughly, and gave him an opportunity to respond. He used excessive force and lied about it. He went into a detention cell with his service weapon. He has $1 million brutality judgment from his days as a biuncer. he is a deadbeat who skips out on rent. he has a criminal record. He has a "Fighting solves everything" tattoo on his arm. These are all incontrovertible facts, not assumptions. He should not be a cop. Anywhere.

Anonymous said...

To bad they did'nt have cameras in the holding cells in the 60s and 70s then everyone would know the meaning of excessive force. Back to tattoos I'm a 50something women with tattoos I don't think I'm all that bad of a person and no they are not of butterflies or flowers but we will leave it at that, so maybe we all can just call me bad ass granny. I'm retired from a school district and not once were my tattoos ever an issue.

Bernie O'Hare said...

If your tattoo said, "I hate kids," it would be.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, I've had many many many dealings with law inforcement over the years,and also with judges and one of the most polite and proffesional police officer I dealt with was this officer, I,m not being stupid with my comments I'm just letting everyone know he was always fair and polite with our run ins and not all good run ins. Now if you want corruption I can tell you where to look and fountain hill is not the place. The worst officer I had run ins with was a female not on fountain hill but another small town in the area talk about abuse of power and lies and law suits she has them. Lied in a county court to a judge, but got her no where she lost the case. Takes children away from a mother and sticks them in the system instead of with the loving grandparents all because she had it out for me. I guess she didn't like the fact that I told her she lacked parenting skills. How can anyone judge someone who has a teenage daughter with a baby, not saying things don't happen I'm just saying ppl who live in glass houses should not throw stones. I could go on and on about police and judges but I would need a chapter book to tell all trust me on that, so this officer Cunningham is a good officer take it from someone who knows all about our ppl in so called peace offices. Signed bad ass granny.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Your strident defense is duly noted.

bad ass granny said...

His tattoo does not say he hates criminals. I think you said it said something about fighting and as far as my looking into it is a sport he partakes in at which he received many awards for. So I'm still not getting this whole tattoo thing. When he stops someone does he show them this tattoo or does he tell them the sport of his choice I'm not seeing anything wrong with body art, displayed or not

bad ass granny said...

Bernie, I don't mean to sound or come across as strident, I'm just letting you and the others know my dealings with this officer and many other officers. I'm sorry if I came across as harsh but I'm really a very calm soft spoken person. Maybe I will have the pleasure of meeting you one day then you can form an opinion of me and not assume.