The Portland Police Bureau has agreed to give a police sergeant fired after he allegedly made offensive remarks more than $100,000, or roughly 9 months pay for time he didn’t work, in exchange for his retirement.
The settlement resolves a grievance the Portland Police Association filed over the termination of Sgt. Gregg Lewis. The Portland City Council will vote on it next week.
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Lewis was placed under investigation after colleagues reported he made an inflammatory comment about the use of force against a black man during a roll call in 2017, according to The Oregonian. He was fired on Feb. 2, 2018.
The city has agreed to rescind Lewis’s termination and impose a 15-day suspension without pay instead.
Under the deal, Lewis' retirement will be effective as of Dec. 3, 2018, and he will not eligible to work for the city or the Police Bureau in the future.
Bureau leaders agreed to pay him $100,020.53 – essentially his gross back pay from the day he was fired through the date of his effective retirement — minus what he would have earned during a three-week unpaid suspension.
Police leaders and the city attorney have recommended City Council members approve the agreement.
