2 Bellevue police commanders demoted over affair
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BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Two commanders with the Bellevue Police Department have been demoted following an investigation that found the two had an affair.
The disciplinary letter, issued to former Major John Manning and his subordinate, former Captain Autumn Fowler, demoted both to lieutenant for not disclosing their relationship.
Department policy requires any personal relationships be reported so the department can avoid liability and conflicts of interest.
A Washington State Patrol investigation found the couple's relationship began in January of 2012, but wasn't revealed until late August when another captain discovered the relationship and reported it to the department and Manning's wife.
Manning's attorney suggested a letter of reprimand and brief suspension; however, the chief demoted Manning two ranks, to lieutenant. Fowler was demoted one rank, also to lieutenant. Both will lose proportional salary.
According to Bellevue Police Chief Linda Pillo, the "discipline does not arise from the relationship itself." In her letters reprimanding Manning and Fowler, the chief said their deceit and personal priorities severely damaged trust in their abilities.
Manning and Fowler were reassigned; each will now supervise a patrol squad.
The chief said the fallout of the violations will impact the department for years to come. She added she hopes trust can slowly rebuild.
The incident falls on the heels of another scandal in the Bellevue Police Department.
Two Bellevue police officers were demoted and disciplined last fall after displaying drunken behavior at a Seahawks game in Seattle.
The disciplinary letter, issued to former Major John Manning and his subordinate, former Captain Autumn Fowler, demoted both to lieutenant for not disclosing their relationship.
Department policy requires any personal relationships be reported so the department can avoid liability and conflicts of interest.
A Washington State Patrol investigation found the couple's relationship began in January of 2012, but wasn't revealed until late August when another captain discovered the relationship and reported it to the department and Manning's wife.
Manning's attorney suggested a letter of reprimand and brief suspension; however, the chief demoted Manning two ranks, to lieutenant. Fowler was demoted one rank, also to lieutenant. Both will lose proportional salary.
According to Bellevue Police Chief Linda Pillo, the "discipline does not arise from the relationship itself." In her letters reprimanding Manning and Fowler, the chief said their deceit and personal priorities severely damaged trust in their abilities.
Manning and Fowler were reassigned; each will now supervise a patrol squad.
The chief said the fallout of the violations will impact the department for years to come. She added she hopes trust can slowly rebuild.
The incident falls on the heels of another scandal in the Bellevue Police Department.
Two Bellevue police officers were demoted and disciplined last fall after displaying drunken behavior at a Seahawks game in Seattle.
The Clinton Defense! The president did it, So it's O.K.!
First off, I agree that this isn't news. I want to know what happened to the gang of Bellevue cops that behaved like stormtroopers at Safeco Field ("You better be careful driving in Bellevue" one was quoted). Bellevue's leader's response to that would be more telling as to how much they care about the public's trust.
On the other hand, just because people make these "mistakes" doesn't make it right. The fact that they are cops just leads me to expect better judgement on their part. They don't get a pass just because they have a hard job. They chose their profession and it's we who have to trust them.
Further, This wasn't a "mistake" . They didn't trip and fall into each other. This represents some seriously flawed judgement.
wow....I can't believe the "Holier than Thou" judges on this forum....
That is NOT news! Commanders getting demoted is I guess but that is not what people are gossiping about! They were demoted for not reporting their relationship to their superiors not because they had an affair! Not reporting a relationship to your boss is NOT news worthy. There have been affairs and inter-level dating at EVERY place I have EVER worked! I'm not saying that makes it okay but its not News. Most everyone has past skeletons in their closet and none of us would like our indiscretions blasted all over the news for everyone to see. The issue is between their families and the Police Department only. They also have young kids that just might overhear your gossip and that is the worst. If we were all judged for the mistakes we have made in life and people started assuming our mistakes represent our "true character" then we would all be horrible nasty people with no morals or positive qualities at all. How about we look towards the amazing and wonderful things these two have done (very likely many of them were done for you and your family and friends even if you didn't know it if you live in the area) instead of labeling them as bad people with no redeeming qualities. People like to give cops a bad rap in general which is ridiculous in the first place since that is who you call when you need help. They put their lives on the line every day and sacrifice more than you will ever know (unless you are a cop) and deserve way more respect then most choose to give.
 @Victoria H. Nope. The problem is that as police officers granted extra constitutional powers and authority by us they are held to a higher standard. And they should expect to be held to that standard. You're acting like reporting an ongoing personal relationship/affair would be deleterious to these officer's careers when in fact it's quite the opposite. It's not like telling your superior something that could be vital in heading off any attempt of extortion or conflicts of interests (their hiding it has been the catalyst to a raft of lawsuits, and who do you think pays for their defense) means that the superior would then contact someone's spouse if they were married. Quite the opposite, doubt they would want to get involved in someone's personal affairs. Their responsibility should be with the public and heading off any ethical quandaries on a legal and ethical level.
Miss Autumn will be the one that leaves the squad for another venue.
Autumn Fowler is also married. She is far from being a victim in this ugly mess.
 @M She was legally separated at the time though.
Demoted isn't enough.. they are not to be trusted.. ever...Â
This should be a private matter, why do we need to know and why show their pictures? Their families are going to be dealing with enough, why add this to it?
 @shadowpony It's not a private matter when you have well-paid city employees acting like like high school students. Sounds like this Autumn Fowler was allegedly having sex with one co-worker and then moved on to another. Presumably none of these employees has quit so they are working together in the same department, which has the potential to cause problems in the workplace.Â
Looks like Fowler way trying to sleep her way to the top
Everyone really needs to read the article about this in the Seattle Times. Way more detail. Turns out that they were discovered by yet another Bellvue police captain who was also dating Fowler. He got pissy when he he found out she was still seeing Manning and reported it to his superiors and Manning's wife. I guess it falls under the "if I can't have her, you can't either" category.
Fowler is a busy lady since she is also married.Â
I think, in general, our society spends too much time involved in other people's personal lives. I understand their demotion was about concealing the affair, which they probably did because the man was married. I have always been monogomous, but I still think people don't need to cast judgements on other people's relationships - or care so much about it; other people know nothing about what is really going on in the relationship, or if an affair, the other relationship.. The whole thing with work and relationships is a tricky one to me becasue it seems natural that someone could meet someone at work they might like. They are in the same profession, so more likely to have common interests, it's a place one makes friends, etc. But, I understand how wrong it could be for a superior/subordiante situation, because of conflicts of interest, or abuse of power, etc. -- even though those factors may have nothing to do with a given situation-- I get why most companies have those specific rules. Beyond that, I don't think it needs to be in any companies rule book. And as far as the politicians brought up, or the police, I care about how they might do their job -- not about their love life. I know people will argue that if they can have an affair then they aren't to be trusted period, but I just don't agree with that. I think emotions of the heart are far different than whether sometimes knows how to honestly look at a spreadsheet, develop a product, sell an item, manage a group, perform lab experiments, drive a truck, issue speding tickets fairly, etc. etc. This incessant need of our society to probe into every aspect of an authority figures personal life, I'm sure keeps many people who could be very good leaders from running for office, etc. This isn't the area of their life to put under a microscope. The area to put under a microscope is how they do their job..... and I don't think those two things are the same.
 @smc42 You should contribute here more often; your posts are always thoughtful and well-written, even when I don't always agree.Â
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You do make a good argument that there are people who think nothing of cheating on their spouses, yet wouldn't even use so much as a Post-It note at work for personal gain.Â
I wouldn't fully trust someone who cheated on their spouse, and wouldn't at all trust someone who thought nothing at all of rampant cheating on him/her with one after another.
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But this has nothing to do with whether you'd work with these people side by side, or even how highly you and your police family think of them minus this issue.Â
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If you get a minute, look up the term "Brady officer" and see what happens when the star witnesses for the prosecution of a number of horrific crimes are the first on scene, or processed the crime scene, or interrogated the POS, etc., and the defense digs up information in even just one of the officers' files that deems that one a Brady officer. Â
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You got it, the POS walks out to freedom giving the finger to the surviving loved ones of victims.Â
@smc42 they knew the rules, and they chose to violate them, You're a fool if you think they won't apply that logic to another set of rules, when it is to their convenience.Â
Gee, not in Bellevue, I'm shocked. They shouldn't point so many fingers at others.
Stay classy Denise and KOMO staff.Â
The facts about the affair are one thing, affairs happen all the time. What's disturbing to me is according to an article in today's Seattle Times , they were frantically calling coworkers to try to get them to help cover it up. That says something about their character in that they would be willing to entangle others. I guess that's why I don't think they are beautiful people.
Beautiful people. I advise them to learn their lesson, buckle down and get to work. Remember Bill Clinton. We are a very forgiving society. This could make them stronger.
No big deal about the pictures being posted. They will be posted anyway when the affair ends and she brings a lawsuit for being whacked by a superior on the force.
Ironic that the State Patrol investigated and even did anything about the affair. My ex worked for State Patrol and had an affair with another officer and I was the one in the wrong because I reported it, even though they used state phones, computers, work time, etc. to conduct their affair. Neither got the least bit scolded for any of it. Guess that comes from being part of the good ol' boys club!
@leszmor the SP didn't do anything about it, BPD doled out the punishment. They just asked SP to investigate the situation and get the facts straight
I don't think posting their pictures was necessary. They still work for the department and have contact with the public. Does someone really want to be traffic stopped by one of these folks and think oh they are the ones..."? Â
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Does it matter if they are good looking or ugly?
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BTW: If it was a gay couple would it become public or be punished? I see different rules for the "protected class".
 @Mamasauras Well KOMO is a business in the private sector competing for an edge against competition in order to stay solvent. Their decision to publish the pictures had to have been a boon for the page views seeing as to how they are the only news org when I checked to have posted them. But now that the floodgates are open I expect other news sites to follow suit in order to neutralize the competitive advantage. News orgs can be like sheep that follow the flocks in this sense.
@Mamasauras: I agree with you that the pictures may not have been necessary, but they did add visual interest in the article. As to your comment about equal treatment to gay couples, I, as a gay man, would certainly hope so. Especially since the demotion was not due to the affair in and of itself. The demotion was issued for not following department policies; "[The]discipline does not arise from the relationship itself [but] for not disclosing their relationship." "[And] their deceit and personal priorities severely damaged trust in their abilities."
@usnrbb In the Private sector, you get busted for violating the company policy, more often than not, they let you go. these people kept their jobs
 @Dave Lancaster  @usnrbb No doubt. The private/corporate sector doesn't mess around. You've been an excellent employee at a bank for the last 3 years but didn't tell them about that DUI 6 years ago that came up during a random background check? You're history. Done and gone. No exceptions.
Aside from the embarrassment this exposure must be to the two officers involved, this must be humiliating for the wife. Now, pretty much everyone in her life, good and bad, has extremely hurtful, sensitive information. It is fine for a department to set an example of how they handle ALL officers who put them (and the tax payer) in such an unnecessary position of liability as carrying on with a subordinate or a supervisor and concealing the relationship. But the article complete with "mug shots" seems to be taking it a little too far.
Not only mannings wife but Fowlers husband.
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They were getting divorced! Not saying that makes it right but her husband was not in the picture as far as I know.
I disagree, I bet the other wives of Bellevue officers will watch their husbands a little more knowing that they may be working with this woman. I know I would! A woman who knowingly sleeps with married men lost her right to privacy when she decided to become a mistress. I feel awful for the wife but Autumn brought this upon herself when she gave up her morals.Â
@CheyenneAD , well it does take two to tango, she had a willing partner, that was also violating their "morals"
In Seattle the cops kill wood carvers with knives because they are drunk...
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In Bellevue they dont have drunk wood carvers, so they take it out on their own.
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I get it... they made a bad ethical choice - but who was harmed here (other than their spouses). Letter of reprimand and send them on their way. and KOMO - really... post their pictures???? hell, you dont even post the pictures of half the sex ofenders you report about.
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bad form!
 @nlholdem Wood carvers? Oh, you mean a drunk homeless nuisance to society....
 @Smashquail  @nlholdem Yeah because drinking while whittling away on a piece of wood is really such a big nuisance to you and me. Actually, I couldn't possibly, even on my worst day, classify such activity as a "nuisance" to me or anyone else. But it sounds like for you anyone not saluting while chanting "Sieg Heil!" is someone you would consider a nuisance for not conforming to your expectations.
Chief Linda Pillo says no hanky panky in the sheets, its makes the comforter feel uncomfortable.
 @Good guy bad thoughts Linda is sending a message to her hubby!
KOMO, this is disgraceful. Â As friends of the families affected, show some class. This goes on everywhere, all of the time wrong or right and there is no real reason that this is pertinent information to the public. Â Irresponsible journalism. Idiots.Â
@laughaminute it is irresponsible adults that violate policy, I'm happy they provided pics, now, if ever I'm stopped by either of them, I can ask if they're still cheating on their spouse.  and bring up their lying if I'm ever in front of a Judge with them as the traffic officer.
 @laughaminute Seriously? Blaming the media for covering this? If these losers didn't act like fools, this would not be an issue. LEO's are held to a higher standard regardless of your opinion. They broke departmental policies. They have been held responsible. As a public office, they and others in the job often make the press when there is wrongdoing. Example: BPD officers intoxicated at a Hawks game. Again, if these folks would have not conducted themselves in a less than desirable fashion.... no news. And what's your position when politicians fail in the same manner? Get over it. It's not the media's fault.
 @laughaminute So sorry your friends got caught up in this circus. Absolutely no excuse to even write an article let alone print their pictures!
Tonight a Bellevue cop told me that all the info that this neighborhood had given them about an empty rental being used as a grow op has been deemed "unverified", and ..."because of budget cuts, the're too busy" DOING WHAT!!!!!! Well now we know! Oh. and their other job...hanging in trees giving out speeding tickets!!!
 @rockhound Did you hear? Marijuana is legal now in the state of Washington. That should factor in too as a big part of the reason.
NONE of this happened on duty!!!!  Read the facts man.
 @rockhound snitch
Sex and sociopaths go together: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-to-survivors-of-child-sexual-assault-by-law-enforcement-officers/180584842010594?sk=wall
 @Waking Up America Andrew, is that you?
@Komo Dragon I thought the same thing. LOL