The Bethel Heights police chief fired after a secret recording surfaced says his accuser lacks credibility.
In regard to the accuser’s past bankruptcy and protection order, former chief Don McKinnon said he will gladly put his credibility up against Cpl. Tim Brasuell, who recorded the chief apparently telling the officer to use “dirty pool” tactics to boost ticket numbers.
Brasuell was the subject of a protection order in 2007, filed by his ex-wife Heather Littrell. The protection order against Brasuell was in place for about three weeks, before its permanent status was struck down by Judge Gary Carson in Washington County Circuit Court. Carson found that Littrell lacked evidence to show she needed a protection order against Brasuell.
If the permanent protection order had gone through, Brasuell would have been ordered to give us his firearms, among other restrictions.
“I wouldn’t have been able to be a police officer,” he said. “That would have been it.”
Brasuell said he was going through a divorce when his ex-wife filed a protection order, but the order was soon struck down. He believed she filed the order to gain leverage in the custody of the couple’s children, he said.
Less than a year later, Brasuell filed for bankruptcy in federal court in Fayetteville. Records show outstanding debts for Brasuell with Chrysler Financial, Ford Motor Credit and Kay Jewelers Sterling, Inc.
Records indicate Brasuell was in debt less than $50,000 and had estimated assets less than $10,000.
Brasuell told 5NEWS he is not running from his past, and the police department knew of his legal issues before hiring him.
“I’ve got nothing to hide,” Brasuell said.
Brasuell said legal issues of the past have nothing to do with the recording or his allegations against McKinnon.
A recording surfaced last week of McKinnon apparently telling Brasuell to force drivers into breaking the law, to increase the number of tickets the department was giving out.
McKinnon said the mayor fired him Friday, a decision he hopes the City Council will reverse at its meeting scheduled for Tuesday night.
