Soldier Sues After Police Fire Him

CHICAGO — A police officer who was fired two weeks after his National Guard unit was called to Iraq is suing the village where he worked, claiming it violated laws meant to protect soldiers’ jobs while they serve the country.

Jeremiah Johnson filed the federal lawsuit Wednesday against Rockton, Ill., a village of 5,300 people 90 miles northwest of Chicago. Besides his job, Johnson is seeking back pay and benefits.

Johnson, a member of Freeport’s 333rd Military Police unit, said the Rockton Police Department gave no reason for his 2003 firing, -- which came days after he told them he had been called for active duty.

Rockton officials said the dismissal had nothing to do with Johnson’s military service. They said he was not meeting the department’s standards during his probationary period.

“We do not want our soldiers fighting terrorism abroad to have to fight for their jobs when they come back home,” Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn said at a news conference Wednesday.

Johnson said he served three months in Iraq before a back injury forced him to return to the United States for physical therapy. He said he was honorably discharged in March but was still without work.

“It’s brought a lot of unwanted, unneeded, unnecessary stress to me and my family -- not having a job, not having medical benefits for my wife and my daughter,” he said.

Rockton’s village president, Dale Adams, defended the police force, saying that 80% consists of veterans and that the department is keeping a job open for another police officer still deployed overseas with Johnson’s National Guard unit.