Injured Cops Being Sent Back to Duty

Memphis, Tn - Some Memphis police officers are patrolling the streets with major injuries, according to the Memphis Police Association.

The union says the city is pressuring medical administrators to get injured officers back on the street, putting their own safety, and yours in jeopardy.

Memphis police officers have a physical job, and officers get hurt in the line of duty. It's called an OJI, an "on the job injury."

Every step of the way with an OJI claim is documented. Fox13 obtained one document for an officer who sprained his wrist on the job. The form sends him back to work. It says, "return to regular duty," but has a restriction: "no shooting."

"That does not make sense," says Mike Williams, President of the Memphis Police Association. "How can you be a police officer, return to full duty, but it says no shooting?"

Williams says in the past, these officers would be returned to desk duty if not fully healed. But now, he says there is an increase in the number of injured officers sent back to full duty.

"The citizens should be very worried in the amount of officers they're sending back out in the streets, full duty that are still injured," says Williams. "I've had guys who have had surgery one day and they're returned to full duty the same day."

Williams says officers with injured legs have been told not to run, and officers with their arm in a sling told to not wear a bullet proof vest.

He says the city is putting pressure on the third party OJI administrator to save money.

"The city is trying to cut down on the amount of money they're sending for doctors," says Williams. "But what are you saying, you don't want officers to chase, you don't want officers to pursue suspects?"

But the city of Memphis says it does not have any control over the physicians sending the officers back to work. The city administration refused an on-camera interview, but says it uses an insurance company with in-network doctors for OJI claims.

The union says a subcontractor is used to oversee the process, and pushes officers back to work to save the city money.

"We think these doctors are being steered to send these guys back to work before they're actually ready or capable of performing their duties," says Williams.

A spokesperson for the subcontractor told us the city of Memphis would not permit her to speak to the media concerning the business of the city of Memphis.

City Councilman Harold Collins says he's concerned.

"I think the city needs to investigate this," says Collins. "As chairman of the personnel committee we need to look at those components."

But Collins says he's skeptical of the union president's suggestion this is a cost cutting move by the city.

"I would think the city wouldn't be putting pressure on doctors because these are people who put their licenses on the line if an individual is told to go back to work when they're physically unable to work," says Collins.

The union welcomes an investigation. Williams says they are considering legal action for the safety of the officers and citizens. He says the practice of sending officers back to work injured needs to stop.

"To criminals, that's almost like a hurt animal," says Williams. "They smell blood in the water."
 

Injury Report