DETROIT (WWJ) -- The police sergeant who was accused of failing to report to the scene of last month's fatal shooting of a fellow officer is retiring.
Sgt. Ronald Kidd was suspended last week, as Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Kidd was about a block away from the scene where officer Rasheen McClain was fatally shot, but did not show up. Craig said the sergeant, who had previously been fired for cowardice, sat in his vehicle while he could hear calls of an officer down on the radio.
On Thursday Sgt. Kidd's attorney, Odey Meroueh, says Kidd has decided to retire from the Detroit Police Department.
"Unfortunately, on the night in question, Sgt. Kidd suffered from an episode of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This episode manifested from a culmination of 21 years serving the City of Detroit and its people and before that, our country as both in the United States Army and as a United States Marine," Meroueh said.
Meroueh says "as a result of this diagnosis," Kidd felt compelled to retire from the department. Craig had announced that Kidd was suspended with pay, but authorities were exploring a possible willful neglect of duty charge.
McClain, a 16-year veteran of the department working out of the 12th Precinct, was shot in the neck as he and his partner responded to a call of a home invasion in progress on Nov. 20 in the area of Wyoming and 8 Mile Road. The chief says McClain was the initial supervisor of the scene that night, putting together a plan and calling for backup, including another supervisor.
Craig says several other supervisors responded to the scene immediately and took charge of the situation, including Sgt. John Claiborne, who had been assigned to desk duty that night, but quickly jumped into action. Kidd however, neglected to take appropriate action, according to Craig.
"Sgt. Kidd was very aware of what was happening. He was listening to the radio, because when we looked at his video, we could listen to the officer saying 'he's been shot, he's been shot,'" Craig said last week.
Meroeuh opened his statement Thursday by saying Kidd "would like to send his thoughts and offer his condolences to McClain's family and the City of Detroit Police Department for the loss of their loved one and fellow brother in blue."
"While Sgt. Kidd mourns the loss of Officer McClain, nothing he could have done on that night could have prevented the tragedy that occurred," Meoueh said.
Kidd's retirement comes the same day that bond was denied for McClain's accused killer, 28-year-old JuJuan Parks. He was arraigned via video in 36th District Court, charged with 16 felony counts, including first degree premeditated murder, first degree murder of a police officer, three counts of assault with intent to murder and a lituny of other charges.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig alleges that Parks, who was wounded in the shootout, "baited" the officers, and wanted "suicide by cop." He was on parole for another case at the time of his latest alleged crime.
