Working on Sick Leave : Officer Hurt in Robbery Violated Rules, Police Say

A Los Angeles police sergeant who was shot Wednesday during a robbery at his Reseda ice cream store was violating departmental policy by working at an outside job while on sick leave from the department, police officials said Thursday.

Sgt. Eugene Smith, 45, was working at the Baskin-Robbins store he owns at 7628 Reseda Blvd. when he was struck in the foot by a ricocheting bullet during a 12:30 p.m. robbery attempt, police said.

Smith has been off duty for the past six weeks and claims he is unable to work because of an injury he suffered while on duty, Cmdr. William Booth said.

Injury Not Described

Booth and other officials refused to describe the injury, saying medical information about an officer is confidential by law.

But Sgt. Larry Palmer, head of the police Claims Validation Unit, said, “He’s claiming a job-related illness. He’s on sick status claiming to be unable to work. If he’s truly disabled, he should be at home recuperating.”

Until the shooting, department officials had been unaware that Smith was working at the job while on sick leave, Palmer said.

“The department manual prohibits working while on sick or injury-on-duty status without permission of the commanding officer of the Personnel and Training Bureau. He did not have permission,” Palmer said.

Smith, who was treated at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and was recuperating at home Thursday, declined comment.

Smith and his wife, Carolyn, were alone in the ice cream parlor when a man wearing a blue bandanna over his face entered and demanded money, Lt. Charles Higbie said. The man fired two shots from a semiautomatic pistol, one of which struck Smith, then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The officer did not fire any shots.