SUSPENDED EPPING OFFICER'S HEARING TO BE OPEN

EPPING - A suspended police officer who is fighting to keep his job
will plead his case at a public hearing before selectmen Monday night.

Bradley Jardis is challenging a 6-day suspension from early August
and a recommendation made by police Chief Gregory Dodge two weeks ago
that Jardis be fired.

The hearing begins at 7:15 p.m. during the regular selectmen's
meeting in town hall.

Personnel matters are generally discussed behind closed doors in a
non-public session, but in an unusual move, Jardis waived his right
to a private hearing and requested that it be open to the public.

While they will be able to attend, members of the public likely won't
be allowed to speak.

"My termination hearing is open to the public for the public to view.
However, I don't believe the public would be able to give input into
a personnel matter," Jardis said.

Jardis, 29, of Hooksett, has claimed that he became the target of
harassment after an article was published in the New Hampshire Sunday
News last February about his involvement as a member of Law
Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an international organization
pushing for the legalization of drugs. Jardis had spoken publicly
about his work with the group before, but the article was the first
to publicly identify him as an officer with the Epping Police Department.

In a letter from the town's attorney, Chief Dodge denied that the
disciplinary action taken against Jardis was related to his work with LEAP.

Monday's hearing comes four months after Jardis was ordered to be
suspended after an internal investigation into a dispute between him
and then-Sgt. Sean Gallagher. He was suspended for insubordination
and violating police procedures.

According to police documents, Gallagher disagreed with the way
Jardis was handling an investigation into a complaint about a man who
claimed that his service dog wasn't allowed into a local restaurant.
Jardis threatened to go to the media when Gallagher pulled him off the case.

During their disagreement, Jardis claims Gallagher ordered him not to
talk to the media, which Jardis told him was an illegal order.

Jardis has since said he never intended to tell the media and that he
made the statement because he was frustrated.

The suspension was also ordered after an investigation into an e-mail
that Jardis sent to members of the police union that police Lt.
Michael Wallace felt included "inflammatory" language aimed at him
and Detective Richard Cote.

The suspension was stayed pending his appeal.