Ex-PPA president reinstated to PPB following investigation by labor arbitrator after Hardesty false report leak
Brian Hunzeker, one of three officers found to be involved in the leak of a false report linking ex-Portland commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty to a hit and run, has been reinstated to the Portland Police Bureau, officials said.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Former Portland Police Association President Brian Hunzeker, one of three officers found to be involved in the leak of a false report linking ex-Portland commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty to a hit and run, has been reinstated to the Portland Police Bureau, the union announced on Thursday.
The decision came from a state-appointed labor arbitrator who said that not all misconduct should result in termination and that Hunzeker is one of those cases, according to the PPA.
In March 2021, a group called Coalition to Save Portland reported the accusation against Hardesty as a driver involved in a hit and run, which they said was leaked by a law enforcement official.
Hardesty was quickly cleared as the suspect by Portland police, and they said they had begun an internal investigation.
The investigation found that Hunzeker, who was the union's then-president, had accessed, replicated and shared the confidential record, which Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said was a violation of policy. In response, Hunzeker was fired, which the PPA called a mistake.
In Dec. 2021, Hardesty filed a $5 million lawsuit against the city, the police bureau, Henzeker and officer Kerri Ottoman, who was also implicated in the leak.
According to the Portland Police Association's report on Thursday, the arbitrator made the decision to reinstate Hunzeker saying it was because he had always owned up to the mistake he made and that he didn't retaliate against a former city official.
Sgt. Aaron Schmautz, the current president of the PPA, shared in a statement that he hopes this opportunity helps fix future issues more fairly.
"The City of Portland has some of the finest public safety professionals in our Nation," Schmautz said in his statement. “My sincere hope is that we recognize and embrace this opportunity to build upon reasonable discourse; upon an accountability model that identifies and fixes issues fairly, not with unwarranted punitive action; and upon the need for the continued growth, development, and presence of those public servants willing to do the work necessary to protect our city.
Hardesty's lawsuit against Hunzeker and the city is still in court.