Denver to appeal decision that revoked officer's punishment in fatal shooting

City officials said Thursday they will fight to restore a 10-month suspension for a police officer who shot and killed a developmentally disabled teenager. A Civil Service Commission hearing officer had thrown out Officer James Turney's suspension on Tuesday, saying Turney did not violate department policy when he killed 15-year-old Paul Childs in 2003. The hearing officer instead suspended Turney for five days and ordered him to lose one day's pay for allegedly threatening his former mother-in-law. That incident had been considered part of the original 10-month suspension imposed by city Manager of Safety Al LaCabe. City Attorney Cole Finegan said the city will appeal hearing officer John Criswell's decision to district court next week. In a written release, Finegan said Criswell had misinterpreted the rules in his decision, released Tuesday. ''... We also believe that his decision involves policy considerations that reverberate far beyond the Turney case,'' Finegan said. LaCabe said at the time that he suspended Turney that the officer had ''exposed himself and others to an immediate risk of harm'' in the Childs incident but did not violate police rules on using his weapon. [more]