This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A veteran Salt Lake City police officer filed a civil lawsuit Friday after an off-duty conflict with a co-worker led to problems at work.
Michael Lee Hardin, a detective of nearly 20 years, is suing the Salt Lake City Police Department, the city, Chief Mike Brown, Deputy Chief Terry Fritz, Lt. Tyrone Farillas, Detective Hilary Gordon and Bernadette Gomez, of the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.
Hardin, who manages and develops property, leased a Kaysville home to Gordon beginning in fall 2013, when the two were friends, the lawsuit states. About two years later, Gordon allegedly complained about Hardin's property management to their colleagues on several occasions. A superior officer ordered Hardin to stay away from the property, though he owned it, because the officer was "simply tired" of the "constant complaining," according to the documents.
Disregarding the order as "beyond the scope of [the superior officer's] authority," Hardin entered the property July 2, 2015, by way of a shared driveway so he could water crops behind the house Gordon was renting. Gordon stood in the driveway with a shovel, blocking his access, according to the lawsuit. Hardin inched his car forward without hitting her, he claims, though Gordon told responding officers the car touched her. Gordon had Fritz on speaker phone during the confrontation.
After the incident, the department placed Hardin on administrative leave and superior officers confiscated his vehicle, badges and guns, the lawsuit states.
Gomez, Gordon's wife, who works with the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and was not present during the confrontation, later asked Davis County prosecutors to file aggravated assault charges instead of disorderly conduct charges against Hardin, which the office did not, the lawsuit states.
By September 2015, Fritz, who transferred to SLCPD's internal affairs unit, became the lead investigator in the case, the lawsuit states. Hardin said that department-imposed transfer was inappropriate, given Fritz's "multiple and conflicting roles in the facts."
When Hardin returned to work in November, the lawsuit states, he faced problems from co-workers who treated him differently. He also had several uncomfortable encounters with Fritz, he says.
Hardin is asking for $300,000 in damages, citing negligent supervision, defamation, malicious prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Salt Lake City spokesman Matthew Rojas said the city has no comment because the litigation is pending.
Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner