BETTENDORF POLICE OFFICER'S JOKE BACKFIRES

What Bettendorf police say began as a practical joke between officers led
to a jailhouse confrontation between one officer and a theft suspect .

Bettendorf Police Chief Phil Redington confirmed Thursday that a note
penned by Sgt. Chris Kauffman ended up being included as evidence in a
criminal case against Brian L. Turner, 23, of Coal Valley, Ill.

Kauffman was required to apologize to the Scott County Attorney's office
and a district judge for planting the phony note in the back seat of
Turner's impounded car in order to play a joke on his fellow officer, Sgt.
Keith Kimball, Redington said.

Redington and Scott County Attorney Bill Davis characterized the incident
as a mistake in judgment that will not happen again. But the suspect's
mother said her son is angry that he was used as part of the prank and is
considering suing the department.

Redington said the events unfolded as follows:

The incident began the evening of Aug. 22, when Kimball arrested Turner on
a charge of third-degree theft. Court documents allege Turner rented a room
at a Bettendorf motel under a fictitious name and instructed that the bill
be sent to a nonexistent landscape company.

Kimball also seized as evidence a car Turner had been driving. Police
brought the suspect to the Scott County Jail at 9:45 p.m.

When Kimball returned to the police department, Kauffman asked Kimball if
he was going to examine Turner's vehicle for evidence that night. Kimball
told Kauffman he would wait until morning.

Kauffman then initiated the prank, dropping a hand-written, crumpled note
into the back seat of Turner's car.

The note contained a checklist of things the suspect supposedly planned to
do to the officer, including setting up false bank and travel accounts in
Kimball's name.

Kauffman then left for the evening.

Kimball later decided to search the vehicle that night and came across what
he believed to be a note written by Turner. After reading the note, Kimball
drove to the Scott County Jail and confronted Turner. Kimball also included
the note as evidence in Turner's criminal case.

"Brian (Turner) said Officer Kimball kept saying he was messing with his
personal life," said Turner's mother, Debra Kimbel, of Coal Valley.

The next morning, Sgt. Kimball learned the note was all part of a joke and
personally apologized to Turner, Redington said.

And when the chief learned of the incident, he required Kauffman to
apologize to prosecutors and Scott County Judge Douglas McDonald. Redington
said the incident was dealt with as an internal personnel matter and that
Kauffman remained on staff. Kauffman was not asked to apologize to Turner.

Kauffman declined comment on the matter when contacted Thursday by the
Quad-City Times.

Turner's mother, Debra Kimbel, asked for a letter of apology from
Redington. In an Aug. 30 letter, the chief wrote: "I would like to
apologize to you and your son, Brian, for the needless concern our officer
caused during our recent contact with him."

On Thursday, Redington acknowledge the letter, and the mistake.

"One of our officers made a mistake by doing an internal joke that got out
of hand. It will not happen again," Redington told the Times. "No matter
who would have done this, no criminal charges could be filed for what was
written."

But Turner's mother said the incident raises questions about how police
handle evidence.

"What prevents officers from planting any evidence?" she said. "What would
keep someone from putting an AK-47 in his back seat?"

Davis, the county's lead prosecutor, said he does not consider the incident
to be serious.

"I was aware of what happened, and I did accept the officer's apology,"
Davis said. "It is obviously a case of an officer with a little too much
creativity and time on his hands.

"These police officers work side by side every day and often rib each
other," Davis added. "Some of that is appropriate and some of it isn't."