Deputy Sues Henn. Co. Sheriff For Retaliation After Questioning Morale
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A deputy is suing the Hennepin County Sheriff, claiming his K-9 was taken away after he questioned department morale.
The exchange was caught on camera at a union meeting last summer when Sheriff Rich Stanek was seeking re-election.
Deputy Ethan Weinzierl was heard on video questioning Stanek.
"There's no other way to put it. Nobody's bragging about this place as they did in the past," Weinzierl said.
He says the Stanek retired his K-9 and removed him from the unit two months after asking the sheriff those questions.
His dog, Eddie, was considered one of the county's top crime K-9s.
WCCO first told you about what happened in January. Weinzierl has now filed a lawsuit against Stanek and the department, saying he has missed out on overtime and the department violated his First Amendment rights.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has yet to file a response in court to the lawsuit.