SPOKANE, Wash. – The City of Spokane has place Spokane Police Officer Sergeant Gordon Ennis on unpaid layoff status effective Friday pending the outcome of his criminal case.
Sgt. Ennis is charged with Second Degree Rape stemming from allegations he sexually assaulted a fellow police officer at a house party in October.
Ennis is schedule to be in court Monday for his arraignment. He was booked and released from the Spokane County Jail on Wednesday afternoon.
In a release sent Friday afternoon, the City said as required by the Civil Service discipline process, an internal review panel reviewed the case against Ennis and recommended he be placed on layoff status.
Mayor David Condon called the charge serious.
"This is a very serious charge and all the alleged behavior is something we will not tolerate out of anyone," Condon said. "Especially not an officer sworn to uphold and enforce the law."
According to City policy, "an employee who has been formally charged with a felony will be laid off pending court trial determination only if the alleged crime is so heinous as to offend the sensibilities of a reasonable person, there is a job connection, the City's public relations would be adversely affected by retaining the employee on the job, or the employee's presence on the job would be a disruptive factor in the work force." The committee found that the felony charge met all four criteria.
The documents revealed that the woman Ennis is accused of assaulting considered Ennis to be one of her "favorite supervisors" and someone that she respected. Court documents said the woman stated she had no physical attraction or interest in Ennis who she believed to be married with children.
In previously filed court documents, the victim described herself as "very intoxicated" to detectives and said she passed out in a guest bedroom after the party. Court documents said she woke up to the suspect touching her inappropriately and told detectives she is positive something happened to her. She said she heard the suspect say he had to go home shortly after she woke up.
