Fired Tulsa Police officer won't get city help in paying his legal bills

He's been at the center of more than half a dozen lawsuits involving the city of Tulsa. <br><br>Some as plaintiff and some as defendant. Tuesday, ex-police officer Roy Johnson was asking the city

Tuesday, January 7th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

He's been at the center of more than half a dozen lawsuits involving the city of Tulsa.

Some as plaintiff and some as defendant. Tuesday, ex-police officer Roy Johnson was asking the city to pay for his legal counsel. News on 6 reporter Steve Berg says many people know Roy Johnson as the officer who started the Black Officers lawsuit. But he also has many people suing "him" and the city for false arrest.

Six different drivers say Johnson pulled them over and wrongfully arrested them for DUI. According to an investigation by the Tulsa Police Department's Internal Affairs Division, more than a third of the people arrested by Johnson for DUI, were not legally drunk. A rate far higher than the average for the department.

Police sources say Johnson had two-dozen complaints against him during his last year on the force. He's been fired from the police department three times. The last time was a year ago.

Tuesday, the city council voted "not" to pay for his legal bills. But they say not for any of those issues, for the simple fact that he missed the deadline for asking. Tulsa city councilor Bill Christiansen, "We received his request 14 days after he received his summons and the limit is 10 days so the denial was based on the fact that we didn't get his request in a timely fashion."

By the way, the plaintiffs are also suing the city along with Johnson, because they claim the city "knew" he had a pattern of false arrests and failed to correct the problem promptly.