MINCO, Okla. — A volunteer police officer in Oklahoma may lose his position on the force after accepting a donation from his church. Zach Davis lost his full-time job during the spring.
Davis is an unpaid reserve police officer in Minco, in central part of the state. Now, his position as a volunteer officer is in jeopardy after a benevolence offering from his church.
“My church family that I’ve been part of for 11 or 12 years came together after I lost my job in April,” Davis said.
Davis accepted $400 to help make ends meet. According to the oath he took as a sworn officer, it was illegal for him to accept the money. Now, the city council will decide if he can keep his job or not. Mayor Watson Mitchell says the ethics clause is meant to protect the integrity of the position.
“Well, if you give somebody money, they’re not going to give you a ticket, that’s simply what it boils down to,” Watson said.
Town resident, Dan McMillan tried to donate money to reserve officers at a time when he thought they needed a boost.
“I saw the morale of police going down,” McMillan said. “We lost an officer last year from injuries in Afghanistan.”
The city has lost two reserve officers. One, 28-year-old Sgt. Mycal Prince died in Afghanistan and Brian Wollard recently died of a brain tumor.
McMillan raised $1,400 through a bake sale but the city council would not accept the check.
