BY KRISTEN DELGUZZI
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Douglas Depodesta Lorenzo Collins

Douglas Depodesta wants his gun, his badge and his job as a police officer back.

The Cincinnati officer, who has not been on active duty since he fatally shot a brick-wielding mental patient in February, filed a lawsuit Friday seeking reinstatement.

CLICK HERE for a summary and links to the three-day Enquirer series sparked by the shooting death of Lorenzo Collins.

In the complaint filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, Officer Depodesta claims city and police officials are trying to force him to resign by relegating him to "menial tasks that are far outside his civil service job description."

Officer Depodesta wants a judge to order the city to return him to full duty. A hearing could be held as early as Monday.

Officer Depodesta's police powers were taken away July 1, despite a finding the day before that he did not violate department policies when he shot at Lorenzo Collins.

His police powers were taken away "pending a fitness-for-duty investigation," Safety Director Kent Ryan said Friday. He would not say what that will include, other than a psychiatric evaluation.

The same day he was put on desk duty, Officer Depodesta was given his review for the first six months of 1997. The review, written by Sgt. Ron Schaeper, says Officer Depodesta "displays impressive poise under stress."

City Manager John Shirey has said Officer Depodesta might be unfit for duty because of his involvement in other high-profile cases.

Officer Depodesta participated in the 1996 death of a mental patient, who died of restraint-related asphyxiation. He also was involved in a melee between Avondale residents and police last summer.

Previous stories

YATES WANTS FEDERAL GRAND JURY August 18, 1997
BLACKS VOW TO ESCALATE PROTESTS August 12, 1997
CITY ISSUES COLLINS REPORT August 5, 1997
COPS SHOULDN'T HAVE FIRED, OMI SAYS August 2, 1997
COLLINS REPORT LEAVES QUESTIONS August 2, 1997
20 PROTEST AT COP'S HOME July 13, 1997
COLLINS CASE TO GET PUBLIC REVIEW July 3, 1997
POLICE ORDERED TO CARRY BATONS July 2, 1997
REVIEWS CLEAR POLICE IN COLLINS SHOOTING July 1, 1997
COLLINS CASE IS BEING DISTORTED An Editorial, June 8, 1997
POLICE SUPPORT OFFICERS IN SHOOTINGS June 5, 1997
POLICE UNION, PROTESTERS PLAN DEMONSTRATIONS June 3, 1997
ENOUGH GUILT TO SHARE Laura Pulfer column, June 3, 1997
SHOOT FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER Peter Bronson column, June 1, 1997
COLLINS PROTESTS CONTINUE May 31, 1997
RADIO LINKS ERRATIC IN COLLINS CHASE May 30, 1997
POLICY ON POLICE HOLDS UNCLEAR May 30, 1997
POLICE SUMMARY OF ITS INVESTIGATION May 29, 1997
DIAGRAM OF THE SHOOTING SCENE May 29, 1997
NO CRIME FOUND IN COLLINS SHOOTING May 29, 1997
NINE MINUTES OF CONFUSION: THE SHOOTING OF LORENZO COLLINS May 27, 1997
DIAGRAM RECONSTRUCTING THE EVENTS May 27, 1997
TRAINING, POLICIES AND POLICE ACTION May 27, 1997
WHY DID THE COPS KILL LORENZO? Peter Bronson column, May 25, 1997
BORGMAN CARTOON May 25, 1997
PUSH FOR POLICE REVIEW FEARED May 9, 1997
FBI TO REVIEW COLLINS CASE May 8, 1997
MARCHERS VOW SEASON OF DISRUPTIONS May 5, 1997
PROSECUTORS GET REPORT ON FATAL SHOOTING April 29, 1997
SHOOTING PROTESTERS ALLEGE POLICE BRUTALITY April 17, 1997
DEMONSTRATORS CITE SHOOTING OF MENTAL PATIENT March 24, 1997
BAPTIST MINISTERS PROTEST AGAINST POLICE March 20, 1997
LAWSUIT SEEKS $5 MILLION March 13, 1997
PUNISH POLICE, MARCHERS URGE March 5, 1997
FATAL SHOOTING CONCERNS COMMUNITY March 2, 1997
PROBE: POLICE FIRED FOUR SHOTS AT MAN WITH BRICK Feb. 25, 1997
MAN SHOT BY POLICE AFTER CHASE Feb. 24, 1997