Nov. 21--PIEDMONT -- A police officer who wrote a $2,500 ticket to a mother on a public urination complaint against her 3-year-old son has been fired, City Manager Jim Crosby said Tuesday.
Crosby said he fired officer Ken Qualls on Friday, following a hearing Nov. 14.
Prosecutors at the Canadian County district attorney's office declined to pursue the case against the mother, Crosby said.
Police Chief Alex Oblein said the ticket was written to the mother for public urination, and the complaint was amended to contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Crosby said Piedmont City Council members received emails about the ticket from as far away as Canada, England and Australia.
"Of course we did receive a lot of notoriety over that," he said.
Qualls plans to appeal the decision, Crosby said. A hearing will be scheduled before a Piedmont personnel board.
Calls to Qualls' attorney were not returned Tuesday.
Qualls issued the ticket Nov. 4 to Ashley Warden after he saw her son, Dillan, drop his pants in the front yard of the family home at 4505 Ryan Drive.
Crosby said Qualls didn't see the boy urinate in the yard, but reported seeing a teenager in the Warden family lead the boy to a spot in the yard.
Oblein said the ticket given to the mother did not fit the situation. It could have resulted in a fine of up to $2,500, he said.
Copyright 2012 - The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City
