Ex-lieutenant says SFPD unfairly forced him out - and you wouldn't guess why

So, an ex-police lieutenant has filed a  wrongful-termination lawsuit because the SFPD decided enough was enough. The final straw for them came when he accused Starbucks of being racist because they didn't open their doors to him. Yup - this prize of a civil servant couldn't pull the racism card out of his wallet quick enough when he didn't get his way. Never mind, I'm sure his lawyers will get him a nice fat tax-funded payment so that he can continue with his dubious retirement activities.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A former San Francisco police lieutenant who weathered numerous allegations during his career, including that he loitered around prostitution hot spots, has filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the city.

Jerry Lankford, 54, says he was forced to retire after being wrongly accused of being unprofessional when he rapped his badge against a Starbucks window while the coffee store was closed.

The 30-year department veteran said he was unfairly placed on unpaid administrative leave in February and had no choice but to retire after being accused of "conduct unbecoming an officer" at the coffee shop in the West Portal neighborhood.

While on his way to work, Lankford, dressed in street clothes and a hoodie, began knocking on the door of the closed store, sources have said. When the clerk ignored him, Lankford allegedly pulled out his badge and began rapping it against the glass.

Returning in uniform

Lankford left but then returned in uniform and angrily accused store employees of refusing to serve him earlier because he is black, sources said. Someone reported the incident, and Lankford was placed on leave and ordered to turn in his gun and badge.

In a suit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Lankford said he had been pushed off the force because of "false, meritless and unfounded accusations of performance issues."

The allegations, he said, were in retaliation for his decision to testify against other officers and for complaining about racial discrimination in the department. Lankford is seeking unspecified damages, reinstatement, back pay and lost benefits.

The city rejected the claims and said Lankford has only himself to blame for his situation.

Subject of complaints

Lankford is no stranger to controversy:

• In 1982, he was suspended for two months after Oakland police said he tried to solicit sex from an undercover officer, though no criminal charges were filed.
• In 2003, while off-duty, Lankford was accused of abducting a woman off a Tenderloin street. Again no charges were filed, and the woman's suit against Lankford and the Police Department was settled for about $10,000.
• In 2006, after department accusations that he had frequented red-light districts, the Police Commission ruled that Lankford was guilty of three charges related to his having driven through San Francisco and the East Bay with his license plate covered. But he was never accused of a crime.

Lankford's attorney, Daniel Ray Bacon, said the department cited many of the previous incidents as justification for placing him on leave.

"At some point, you've got to come forward to prove what you're talking about, and they just never did that," Bacon said. "You shouldn't be able to do this to a person who has really a stellar record."

Lankford was awarded the department's silver medal of valor three times and has received many letters of appreciation from the community, Bacon said.

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