Cottage Grove police chief, captain accused of “deeply unprofessional conduct” during investigation | Regional

Cottage Grove residents want answers after police chief and captain resign

The Notice of Potential Termination issued to former captain Gagner said the investigation found numerous examples of unprofessional conduct. Among several specific examples of misconduct, Gagner is alleged to have:

• Used racial slurs including the “N”-word, as well as homophobic language on a semi-frequent basis in the workplace

• Placed his genitals on a sandwich, taken a picture of it, then sent that picture to an officer eating a similar sandwich

• Placed the cell phone of a female city employee on his crotch on the outside of his pants and rubbed it around his crotch area while laughing, in front of that female employee and in the presence of the chief.

Gagner is also alleged to have posted videos from police surveillance videos on his TikTok account, said he would remove those videos when asked, and as of the date the notice was issued, had not removed those videos.

The notice also said Gagner did not ensure a professional and efficient workplace and was neglectful in his duties. Examples include:

• Failing to act when informed that some CGPD members may have drove home from a December 2021 party while intoxicated

• Failing to take action when the wife of a CGPD employee came into the station and began throwing items in the employee’s office, causing a major disturbance

• Allowing officers to wear ballistic vests with expired manufacturer’s warranties

Former captain Gagner is also alleged in the notice to have flouted city jail protocols. The notice lists an incident where the captain held someone in jail who had been sentenced to time already served. They were eventually released when they swallowed a spoon and had to be sent to a nearby hospital, the notice said. Gagner is also alleged to have released prisoners in conflict with the municipal judge’s sentences. Captain Scott Shepherd, as the police chief and therefore the person ultimately responsible for the jail, is also implicated in allowing Gagner’s actions to continue.

A similar Notice of Termination was sent to former captain Scott Shepherd which notes several instances of unprofessional conduct on Shepherd’s part. It noted that Gagner was Shepherd’s direct subordinate, and said Shepherd did nothing to curb Gagner’s own unprofessional behavior, which implied some degree of toleration of that behavior.

The notice also mentioned an incident from 2011, where Shepherd, then a sergeant, pulled pubic hair from his pants and put those hairs on the phone of another officer, in front of a third officer. In the other alleged incident from 2011, Shepherd allegedly used both hands to slap the buttocks of a female CGPD staffer while she was bent over a computer, then told another officer who was present something to the effect of “yeah, and her husband is OK with it.”

According to the notice of potential termination, Shepherd allegedly engaged in an inappropriate relationship that led to his wife coming to the police department, entering his office, throwing things around in there and rifling through his desk.

Among several failures to properly manage the CGPD alleged in the notice, chief Shepherd is alleged to have failed to address alcohol misuse by CGPD officers. Shepherd is alleged to have allowed an officer in his presence to drink so heavily they had to be taken to a hospital. He also did nothing when an officer failed to report to his shift due to being too intoxicated, the notice said. Shepherd was alleged to have failed to engage freely-available employee assistance program services to address these issues.

In the notice, former chief Shepherd is said to have failed to respond to calls for assistance by neighboring law enforcement agencies. The notice gives a December 2021 example where Shepherd allegedly denied a call for assistance by a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was in a gunfight with a suspect less than 10 minutes outside Cottage Grove city limits, and who had to wait nearly 30 minutes for assistance. In another incident, Shepherd allegedly did nothing to address an incident where a CGPD sergeant denied a request for assistance from a Lane County Sheriff’s Office deputy, who had to hold a suspect known to be armed at gunpoint for more than 10 minutes by herself before help finally arrived.

Both former chief Shepherd and former captain Gagner sent letters of resignation via e-mail to Cottage Grove City Manager Richard Meyers on October 3, 2022. Both Gagner and Shepherd left the CGPD on October 5, 2022.

KEZI has asked the Cottage Grove City Manager to comment on the investigation that led to the allegations against the former captain and chief to come to light. He has not yet responded as of the afternoon of March 15, 2023. However, the Assistant to the City Manager did issue a statement on the matter.

The Assistant to the Cottage Grove City Manager stressed that the allegations against the former chief and captain remain mere allegations, as the investigation into their conduct was never finalized due to their resignations. As for why the pair was only put on administrative leave as recently as 2022 when certain alleged incidents happened as far back as 2011, the Assistant to the City Manager said officials had only recently found out about the incidents when the two were put on leave. The Assistant to the City Manager thanked the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Eugene Police Department for their help in covering patrols and lending staff.

The Assistant to the City Manager also confirmed that three sergeants and a dispatch supervisor at CGPD are also on paid administrative leave. He said the matter is still under investigation, and was unable to comment further on it.