City attorney says officers should be fired

The three Reno police officers - Dennis A. Bradshaw, Lynn Drake and Mark Markiewicz - were assigned to other duties that do not require them to carry guns pending internal arbitration proceedings.

Federal law prohibits anyone, including police officers, from carrying weapons if they have been convicted of domestic violence.

"Initially there was so much controversy and confusion about the law that we kind of put them in a holding pattern, as other cities did," Lynch said.

But while there was some talk in Congress of amending the law to either exempt affected police officers or allow them to carry a gun only a duty, that didn't happen, Lynch said.

Lynch said the Reno department is too small to keep officers who cannot perform all duties.

Markiewicz was fined $1,000 on his conviction for battery of his ex-wife. Bradshaw was convicted in May of domestic violence against his wife of 19 years.

Deputy Reno Police Chief Bob Galli said the Drake conviction was an old conviction that did not involve his wife and predates the federal law.

Lynch said the city issued the officers termination notices, but held them pending the outcome of an internal grievance procedure.

But she added that the city would probably appeal to district court if the arbitrator hearing the cases determines the officers should be kept on the force in jobs that do not require weapons.

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