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Charles H. Jackson, a veteran of nearly 20 years with the Federal Protective Service, was charged with falsifying records in a federal investigation involving two FPS officers who lied about an incident that landed a San Francisco man in jail for six days, according to the Justice Department.

The FPS officers, Peter Taoy and John Haire, confessed last month to making false statements after they chased Jeffrey Petri for running a red light in the early morning on Feb. 15, 2003. According to Justice officials, Taoy admitted that he falsely charged Petri with attempted murder, and both officers claimed that the chase began next to federal property, rather than several blocks away. FPS rules don't allow car chases solely to enforce traffic violations.

After a high-speed chase through San Francisco, Petri's car came to a stop. Taoy used his patrol car to pin Petri's Mercedes-Benz against another parked car. When Petri did not get out of his car, Haire pointed his gun at Petri and ordered him to get out as Petri worked to dislodge his car from the FPS patrol car's bumper. To keep Petri from fleeing again, Taoy shot Petri's left-front tire wheel well four times and later claimed that Petri attempted to run him over.

Jackson, now a special agent in the Phoenix office, arrived on the scene sometime later as the investigating FPS agent, and according to Haire's confession, he admitted to Jackson at the time that the chase began solely due to a traffic violation, that the incident happened two or more blocks from federal property, and that Taoy was not in danger when he fired his gun at Petri's car. Haire said he agreed to go along with Taoy's version of the events because of "peer pressure."

Jackson was indicted Nov. 23 for knowingly concealing and falsifying records and documents with the intent to impede the investigation.

Petri was wrongfully charged with the federal crime of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and Taoy admitted that from the time of the incident he continued to lie. Haire and Taoy both admitted to making material false statements to a federal prosecutor, and Haire also admitted to recklessly disregarding the truth about the incident.

Taoy faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, six years supervised release and a $500,000 fine. Haire faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2005.

Indefinitely Suspended

After police arrested Willie M. Rawls Jr. and charged him with first degree murder for allegedly shooting a nightclub bouncer four times with a 12-gauge shotgun in July 1999, the Postal Service suspended him indefinitely.

According to The [Memphis] Commercial Appeal, Rawls and his girlfriend were thrown out of the topless club Platinum Plus on a Sunday night after they got into a fight. A bouncer, Michael Florentine, intervened and fought with Rawls before throwing the couple out of the East Memphis club.

A man believed to be Rawls returned to the club that night carrying a shotgun and wearing a ski mask. After shooting Florentine four times below the waist, the shooter left the club in the same gold SUV that Rawls allegedly was seen in when leaving the club earlier with his girlfriend.

Returning to the club later that night apparently for a third time in the same SUV but wearing different clothes, Rawls was identified by people at the club as the shooter, according to The Commercial Appeal. A search of his home found a shotgun lying on his bed with shells of the same type used in the club shooting.

A jury found Rawls guilty of the lesser offense of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, in March 2002, and he was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in prison. He was fired on June 21, 2002.

In an appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board, Rawls' legal representatives from the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 329 argued that the agency failed to issue notices proposing his removal and that Rawls' indefinite suspension was illegal. A MSPB panel reversed his indefinite suspension and his removal in September 2003, ruling that he was denied minimum due process.

In an agency appeal, the September ruling was reversed; the board found that the agency did not have to end Rawls' suspension in order to remove him. They also ruled that the outcome of the criminal justice proceedings provided an "ascertainable end" to his indefinite suspension.

COMMENTS

• I am the Jeff Petri in this article. I would like some help in referring me to an attorney who might help me in this as a civil matter. My former attorney faulted me. Thanks, Jeff Jeff Petri Posted July 27, 2008 4:58 PM