Mendota Heights officials fire suspended police officer
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The Mendota Heights City Council has decided to fire the city's most senior police officer after he was put on paid administrative leave pending an internal-affairs investigation.
Council members voted 4-1 Tuesday night to fire police Sgt. Bobby Lambert despite pleas and endorsements from dozens of supporters who attended the meeting. His termination is effective Wednesday.
Mayor Sandra Krebsbach says independent investigators looking into an outside complaint about Lambert advised the council to demote or terminate him, or to ask for his resignation.
Lambert says the complaint involved mistakes he made while investigating a drug-overdose death. He was asked to resign but refused.
Lambert claims he was fired in retaliation for demanding in 2012 that another police officer be investigated for wrongdoing.
He says he plans to sue the city.
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