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Detroit Police Officer Files Suit Against City

A police officer has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the city of Detroit involving former Police Chief Warren Evans. 

Officer Shanda Starks claims she was demoted for gossiping about Evans' relationship with Lt. Monique Russell-Patterson. 

Evans has not denied his relationship with Russell-Patterson, and spoke about it  during an interview on Fox 2 news.

"Is it the best of circumstances? No... In the police department you spend an aweful lot of time on the job, and that's where you meet people. And, that's just one of the realities of it," he said.

However, Evans said he did not even know of Starks before her claims became public. 

"She filed the complaint. I've never even seen the woman -- don't know who it is. And, so it's a complaint, and complaints aren't necessarily sustained. My understanding, from the administration, is that the complaint was not sustained. That's what I was told," Evans said.

Evans was fired last month after Mayor Dave Bing said his leadership had been compromised by a variety of issues.

 (Copyright 2010 WWJ Radio.  All Rights Reserved.)

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