Albany's City Manager may decide this week whether to follow the police chief's recommendation, and fire Albany Police Officer Gary Price.
Price has a history of car crashes and dangerous high speed chases. The latest in June injured seven people.
Two men died during one of those chases, and the father of one of those men says he hopes firing Price will help stop dangerous chases.
Bill Klewitz said he does not hate Gary Price, but says he feels Price should have been fired by the Albany Police long ago.
Albany Police Officer Gary Price has been involved in six crashes and chases that led to three more crashes in his 14 years with the department.
In all, ten people have been hurt and two killed. June 27 2007 Price, chases drug suspect Bobby Jones on North Jefferson Street at high speeds in heavy traffic. Minutes later in Lee County, Jones hit 21-year-old Billy Klewitz head on, killing both of them. Klewitz's father now awaits a final decision on Price's recommended termination.
"Right away I was thrilled. I guess you can say what goes around comes around. It took five years for essentially justice for my family to come around," Klewitz said.
Bill Klewitz describes his life as hell since that high speed police chase, which he calls senseless. "That it killed my son but it also killed my wife. Because my wife never got over it. I lost Shannon two years following Billy's accident."
Klewitz said he could not believe Price kept his job, even when five months later in another high speed chase the Officer slammed into a car, injuring a pregnant woman and her two children.
Finally in June Price, streaking through an intersection with his blue lights on, ran a red light and slammed into a truck, injuring two adults and five children. APD Chief John Proctor recommended Price's firing September 5th, and a hearing was held September 17th.
As Klewitz waits for the City Manager's decision, he hopes all law enforcement will think before they chase. "We're trying to eliminate police chases. That is what my wife and myself were working on. What can we do to promote the elimination of high speed pursuit."
Albany City Attorney Nathan Davis said, "He and his attorney both appeared and presented documentary evidence. Testimonial evidence."
Klewitz said high speed chases kill not just people, but families. He feels his wife died of grief over the loss of Billy. He himself suffered a stroke this year. If Gary Price is fired, he calls that another tragedy for his family and the community. "I'd like to see something good come out of all of this. Something has to. Something has to."
Klewitz said he hopes law enforcement stopping high speed pursuits and saving lives in the future is that something good.
The Klewitz family was awarded a half million dollar settlement against the city for their son's death, but he says the money meant nothing to them. He wonders why it took so long for the city to consider firing Officer Price.
The City Manager has ten days to make his decision following the termination review, and his decision is expected this week.
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Albany Police Officer Gary Price has been involved in six crashes and chases that led to three more crashes in his 14 years with the department
Albany City Attorney Nathan Davis
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