A Salt Lake City police officer who was placed on paid administrative leave for reportedly refusing to work at a gay parade says he didn't actually refuse the assignment.
The unnamed officer said he had only asked to be taken off the motor team that leads the parade. He said he didn't want to appear to be supporting gay pride because of his personal and religious beliefs.
"You are essentially participating in the actual parade," the officer's attorney, Brett Rawson, said of his client's assignment to lead the parade with the motorcade. "It's more than doing traffic or patrol or regular police duties."
Rawson said the police department defamed his client when they reported the incident inaccurately.
The officer, who worked for the Salt Lake City Police Department for seven years, stepped down in part because of the way the department conveyed the incident to the media.
"He really did nothing improper," his attorney said. "He has never shown any prejudice or bigotry to a person in his role as a SLC police officer."
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