RPD officer appeals demotion

A Richmond Police Department officer is appealing his demotion for handcuffing a person in his custody to a hospital bed and then returning to his patrol.

Neal VanMiddlesworth was demoted from sergeant to patrolman in December after the department conducted an internal investigation about an incident where a person was left handcuffed to a bed at Reid Hospital, according to RPD Chief Kris Wolski.

Wolski said VanMiddlesworth responded to a call at Kroger and found a person too intoxicated to be accepted by the Wayne County Jail. The subject was taken to Reid Hospital for evaluation, Wolski said, and when VanMiddlesworth decided to return to his street patrol, he left the prisoner handcuffed to the bed.

The handcuffs impacted the hospital’s ability to provide adequate medical attention, Wolski said.

The city of Richmond’s Police Merit Commission will conduct an appeal hearing at 6 p.m. Monday in the community room on the second floor of the Richmond Municipal Building. After the hearing, the commission will meet in executive session to reach a decision and then return to an open meeting to provide the decision.

Should the hearing run late into Monday night, the commission will reconvene at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

VanMiddlesworth at one time was an RPD captain before he was disciplined in October 2013 because he had written 25 traffic tickets that he did not turn in as required.

Staff writer Mike Emery: (765) 973-4466 or mwemery@pal-item.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PI_Emery.