NEWS > 26 July 2006

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St. Louis Post-Dispatch - MO,
26 July 2006

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Pacific resident alleges haras

A Pacific resident has alleged Police Chief Jim Brune verbally and physically harassed him.

At the July 18 Board of Aldermen meeting, Jeff Pahlmore said Brune's harassment of him started before the April 4 election, when Brune was campaigning for office, and escalated at an incident that occurred during Cruise Night July 8.

Pahlmore has filed complaints against Brune with the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney and Sheriff's Department, Mayor Herbert Adams, City Administrator Harold Selby and the Board of Aldermen, and is considering filing a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Brune is denying all the allegations and told aldermen he felt Pahlmore was attacking his character without cause.

Aldermen last week agreed Pahlmore needed to take his case to the Ethics Commission.

Pahlmore gave aldermen this account of the incidents between him and Brune:

Pahlmore operates a funeral home in Pacific. Before the April election, Brune solicited a campaign contribution from Pahlmore.

Pahlmore said in his first approach for a contribution, Brune reminded him the police department provided escort services for local funeral homes during funeral processions.

Pahlmore said he didn't like Brune's approach in soliciting a contribution. He said he twice put off giving Brune a direct answer.

The third time Brune contacted him, Pahlmore contended Brune was aggressive in asking for a commitment of financial support. Pahlmore, feeling that Brune was harassing him, went to Selby and then-Police Chief Ron Reed and said he was assured the harassment would stop.

Pahlmore said he had no more contact with Brune until Cruise Night, when he was approached by Brune. He said their meeting started politely but then Brune confronted him about giving a campaign contribution to another candidate for police chief after Pahlmore had told him he didn't feel he was financially able to make a donation to Brune.

During their confrontation, Pahlmore said he repeatedly was hit in the face with a ball cap Brune was wearing. He said at one point, another Pacific police officer grabbed him and pulled him away from Brune.

"Someone needs to do something," Pahlmore told aldermen. "This harassment from the police department and especially Chief Brune has got to stop."

Brune countered with this account of the incidents between him and Pahlmore:

Brune said he solicited campaign contributions from both funeral homes in Pacific. He said the police department did provide funeral escorts but that he never implied that service would be discontinued if the funeral homes didn't contribute to his campaign.

He said the director of the other funeral home didn't have any objections to his solicitation and had made a contribution.

Brune said the first time he approached him, Pahlmore told him he wasn't financially able to make a campaign contribution. In a follow-up telephone call, Brune said Pahlmore told him he still hadn't made up his mind about making a contribution.

Because the election was nearing, Brune said he told Pahlmore he needed an answer one way or the other. He said Pahlmore then accused him of harassment.

Brune admitted he might have been overzealous in his campaign, but he said he never was intimidating or harassing.

At Cruise Night, Brune said he began a polite conversation with Pahlmore.

Brune said he told Pahlmore he was disappointed that Pahlmore had stirred up such a commotion during the campaign, that Pahlmore had misread the situation, and that he never meant for Pahlmore to feel he was being harassed.

Brune said he returned the contribution from the other funeral home because he didn't want any appearance of favoritism on the part of the police department.

Brune said he then told Pahlmore he had felt personally hurt when Pahlmore told him he couldn't afford to give him a contribution but then made the maximum campaign contribution to his opponent.

After the election, Brune obtained public financial disclosure records filed by his opponent, Matt Mansell. He said that was how he found out about Pahlmore's contribution to Mansell's campaign.

Brune said Pahlmore again began accusing him of harassment. He said Pahlmore came very close to him, close enough that the ball cap Brune was wearing hit Pahlmore in the forehead.

Brune said he told Pahlmore to back up, but he said Pahlmore maintained an aggressive posture and that Pahlmore had pushed him. At that point, he said Pacific officer Sgt. William Calloway took Pahlmore by the arm and told him to step back.

Brune said he told Pahlmore to stay away from him because Pahlmore obviously had a personal problem with him. Brune said he went to Selby and Adams that night to report the incident.

"I don't feel I've done anything wrong," Brune said. "I feel like it's he that's trying to intimidate me and I'm not going to sit back idly and let him attack my character."

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Article sourced from

St. Louis Post-Dispatch - MO,26 July 2006

Pacific resident alleges haras

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St. Louis Post-Dispatch - MO,
26 July 2006