County Worker Fired after Finding Gun on the Job

[jnelsoninjax]

John Chevilott found a gun, secured it, brought it back to the road yard in Westland, which is Wayne County property, before he turned it into police. That seems to be where the problem lies because right now in Wayne County there is not a policy describing what to do if an employee finds a gun on the job.

Hidden in weeds in Detroit's Brightmoor area, Chevilott and his Wayne County crew discovered a loaded, snubnosed revolver as they were mowing the lawn mid-morning on May 3.

"It was damaged, so it could've went off. Surprisingly, it didn't kill the guy on the mower," Chevilott explained. "It got picked up, so we put [it] in the van, waited [for] police to drive by."

However, Detroit police never did drive by, so Chevilott finished his work day, drove the gun home and later that same evening turned it into his local police department in Garden City.

He says the cops ran the gun and discovered the weapon had been stolen from St. Clair Shores in 2005.

"They said I did the right thing getting it off the street."

However, Chevilott's superiors at the Department of Public Services had a much different opinion. His foreman, who had knowledge of the situation, was suspended for 30 days, and after 23 years on the job, Chevilott was fired for violating department policies.

According to a Wayne County spokeswoman and the rules, employees aren't allowed to possess a weapon on work property.

Chevilott says he didn't bring a weapon to work. He found it on the job.

"There is no policy. I've never seen a policy what to do if we find a gun out here. So, all I did was secure the situation to make sure nobody else got hurt or killed."

"They did a good thing. They took a gun off the streets and they're being punished," said Local 101 President Thomas Richards.

Chevilott also was let go for insubordination and unauthorized access to the road yard.

Richards says he's fighting all three accusations that are over the top and without merit.

"There's never been any policy brought to light on what we should do when they find a weapon," he told us.

The union has filed a grievance. Chevilott does want to get his job back. He was just two years shy of retirement.

Source

[xendrome]

"It was damaged, so it could've went off. Surprisingly, it didn't kill the guy on the mower," Chevilott explained. "It got picked up, so we put [it] in the van, waited [for] police to drive by."

Should have left it where it was and called the police right away. Live and learn.

[tiagosilva29]

John Chevilott should get a gun and become a vigilante.

[Farstrider]

Sorry, but only in America! What the hell, they did nothing, except hand in a stolen weapon and one gets suspended and the other fired, wtf???

[DocM]

This is so stupid. Leaving the gun sit was unsafe so they secured it. There is no policy as to what to do, so they just make one up?

Sadly this is typical for Wayne County govt. It's a total mess- the County Executive is heading for Federal and State indictments related to the Detroit corruption investigations, and if anyone opens any closets, anywhere, a horde of skeletons will fall out - yet they will go after some poor guy nearing retirement who's just trying to do the right thing :angry:

[Growled Member]

Just when you thing American government can't get any stupider, they do.

[articuno1au]

"It was damaged, so it could've went off. Surprisingly, it didn't kill the guy on the mower," Chevilott explained. "It got picked up, so we put [it] in the van, waited [for] police to drive by."

Should have left it where it was and called the police right away. Live and learn.

Perhaps, but his action wasn't unreasonable.

I'd be pressing for unfair dismissal on this one, especially if he loses his effort to get reinstated.

[+hedleigh Subscriber²]

But, according to a few people here, the man is a bludger.

He works for the government and is a union member, he should be punished!

Back on topic, to me this is just another example of worker abuse that has become fairly common in this day and age.

[Dot Matrix]

Welcome to America.

[Gerowen]

Wow, crazy stuff. Kentucky has a state law that says your employer cannot forbid you from having a weapon in your car at work, or forbid you from using that weapon to defend yourself or your workplace. Whether you can have it on your person while on the job is left up to the employer, but this guy getting fired for turning it in, that's too far.

[KingCracker]

Wow, crazy stuff. Kentucky has a state law that says your employer cannot forbid you from having a weapon in your car at work, or forbid you from using that weapon to defend yourself or your workplace. Whether you can have it on your person while on the job is left up to the employer, but this guy getting fired for turning it in, that's too far.

Tennessee is trying to pass the same thing.

[fr33k]

Sound like grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit?

[jnelsoninjax]

The union has filed a grievance. Chevilott does want to get his job back. He was just two years shy of retirement.

Hopefully this will help get his job back, otherwise I think a lawsuit would be in order.

[DocM]

Absolutely a wrongful termination suit is in order. This is about as dumb as it gets, and in Wayne Co. government that's pretty damned dumb.

[Solid Knight]

His employer will lose in court.

[articuno1au]

I think he should sue the employer for providing a dangerous work environment.

Then he can have fun with the wrongful dismissal :p