The public grievance hearing for Jeff Senter - the former North Myrtle Beach police officer who was fired last month - has been rescheduled, according to a news release from city spokesman Pat Dowling.
The hearing now will be held at 9 a.m. Nov. 15 in the training room at City Hall. Dowling said the hearing was rescheduled at Senter's request.
Senter, a 16-year veteran with the city's police department, was fired Oct. 6 following a confrontation with Melissa Edge at the city's Cherry Grove fire department. Melissa Edge is the wife of state Rep. Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach.
Senter told The Sun News that he was fired because city officials said he did not properly handle the confrontation with Edge, who said in a letter to the city that she "acted irrationally and was not in control of my emotions."
Senter said Edge was emotional and combative, but he did not believe there was cause to arrest her. Instead, Senter consulted with his supervisors and they all agreed to call Tracy Edge to meet them at the fire station to take his wife home.
Senter says he has been wrongfully terminated and he wants the city's grievance committee to rule on the actions taken by City Manager Mike Mahaney and others.
The grievance committee is composed of city employees who are appointed by the city manager. The committee will hear testimony from Senter and city officials before making a recommendation to Mahaney. The committee could uphold Senter's firing or recommend that he be reinstated. Mahaney has the final say in city personnel matters.
Senter used the dashboard camera on his police car to videotape the confrontation with Edge. The Sun News requested a copy of that video under the state's Freedom of Information Act, but Mahaney has refused to release the video. The Sun News, Senter and William Bailey - the city's former public safety director - have filed a lawsuit against the city asking a judge to force Mahaney to release the video. That lawsuit is pending and no court date has been scheduled.
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