Superior Police Give Officer Gothner 10 Hr. Unpaid Suspension for Arrest Incident

SUPERIOR, Wis. - The Superior Police Department has completed an Internal Investigation to determine whether there were violations of Superior Police Department polices in the actions of Officer George Gothner during the arrest of Natasha Lancour on January 5, 2014.

The investigation focused on two issues.

First, was the force used in making the arrest reasonable and consistent with policy?

The finding of the investigation was that the force used was reasonable and consistent with the policies of the department and the training provided by the State of Wisconsin.

This finding is based on a review of this arrest conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Law Enforcement Services.

The Use of Force policies of the Superior Police Department closely mirror the training provided by the State of Wisconsin.

Our investigation finds that Officer Gothner's use of force is consistent with policy as they were reasonable based on Wisconsin training.

While the force used in this arrest is difficult to view and has caused many to question its appropriateness, the force was used in response to resistance and to the officer perceiving that Ms. Lancour was assaulting him.

The second aspect of the investigation centered on whether Officer Gothner's conduct and communication with Ms. Lancour was in compliance with the policies of the Superior Police Department.

It was the finding of the investigation that Officer Gothner failed to utilize proper communication skills and was vulgar and unprofessional in his initial contact with Ms. Lancour.

His words were a violation of several departmental policies. Officer Gothner has been issued formal discipline in the form of a 10 hour unpaid suspension for these violations.

The Superior Police Department places great value on our relationship with the community.

This trust has been eroded by this incident and we will strive to win that back through living up to the tenants of our mission statement.

The Superior Police Department is Sworn to Protect, Committed to Justice and Dedicated to Professional Service.