Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 In our book of rogues, there's not much worse than a cop who lies. Recently, the Portland Police Bureau fired two of them. Earlier this month, the bureau fired Officer Kenneth R. Ellison for violating truthfulness regulations. And back in May, Officer Donald K. Warren lost his job for the same reason. According to sources within the Bureau, Ellison accidentally collided with a stationary object in his police car last spring. (It's unclear whether it was a utility pole, a median or some other object.) Instead of simply reporting the accident, which was minor, Ellison allegedly concocted a tale about a hit-and-run involving a taxicab. He put out a bulletin over the police radio, asking officers in the area to be on the lookout for a yellow cab. Other officers soon realized the details of his story didn't make sense, and commanders were notified. Ellison was placed on administrative leave last spring and fired June 16. What makes the story most pathetic is that if Ellison had told the truth about the accident, he probably wouldn't have been disciplined at all. Officer Warren was caught lying last spring, reportedly when he called in sick one day. He was fired May 11. The bureau has apparently learned from the last time it fired an officer for untruthfulness. In 1997, the bureau was forced to reinstate Officer Maurice Rodriguez after a legal battle. The glitch was that Rodriguez didn't lie directly to a superior--instead, he told a half-truth to colleagues and came clean when confronted by a supervisor. After being reinstated, he immediately took a job with another police department. This time around, it appears the Bureau has done the job the right way--although the police union has filed grievances in both cases. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published June 30, 1999