OFFICER LOSES JOB FOR ALLEGED LINK TO DEALER

Veteran Of Peoria Force Says He'll Fight Termination

A Peoria police officer was fired last week, reportedly because of his
alleged friendship with a known drug dealer now awaiting sentencing on
federal charges.

Officer Henry Cherry, a five-year veteran of the department, said Tuesday
he plans to fight his termination.

"If I told you everything that happened, you'd leave here shaking your
head," he said from his home.

Cherry's termination came as a result of his friendship with Scott P.
Pierce, 34, according to a police source.

Police first learned of the friendship in February, when Peoria vice and
narcotics officers served a search warrant at Pierce's apartment in the
2600 block of Lavalle Court. During that search, 260 grams of cocaine and
nearly $3,000 were seized. Officers also found photographs showing Pierce
and Cherry together on a vacation, the source said, prompting an
investigation into the matter.

It was subsequently learned that Cherry's name appeared as a reference on
Pierce's application for state unemployment compensation.

Police Chief Steven Settingsgaard wouldn't comment on Cherry's termination,
saying the firing is a personnel matter and can't be discussed publicly.

Settingsgaard, however, noted that police officers are prohibited in their
general orders from "cavorting with criminal types, with some exceptions
dealing with family members."

Pierce and Cherry are not related, but the extent of their friendship is
unclear.

"I expect officers will maintain a private life that is unsullied. . . . To
maintain public confidence, our officers need to be of the highest moral
character and integrity," Settingsgaard said. "I expect a lot from the
public, and as far as our officers' behavior, I expect more."

Cherry declined to comment further without discussing the matter with his
attorney.

Michael Eddlemon, president of the Peoria Police Benevolent, the union
representing city police officers, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

It's unknown whether Cherry could face criminal charges.

Pierce, who has remained in custody since his arrest in February, faces a
single count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to
distribute, a felony that could land him in federal prison for up to 30 years.

According to a criminal complaint, Pierce told officers the cocaine was his.

The last Peoria police officer to be fired after his probationary period
was nearly five years ago, according to Journal Star archives. Michael
Davis, a 3 1/2-year veteran of the department, was fired in 2000 for
pulling a gun on his 17-year-old girlfriend.