Disciplinary hearing for South Bend police officer involved in deadly crash begins Monday

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The disciplinary hearing for a South Bend police officer involved in a deadly crash will begin Monday.

Office Justin Gorny slammed his patrol car into 22-year-old Erica Flores’ SUV, killing the 22-year-old mother in July.

Gorny has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, but Monday and Tuesday’s hearings will determine whether or not he keeps his job.

In September, South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski recommended Gorny be fired. In a letter to the Board of Public Safety, Ruszkowski said he made his recommendation after a, “review of facts and evidence related to sustained violations of the South Bend Police Department duty manual.”

City officials say the hearing is similar to a trial. The board will act like a jury. The city will explain why Gorny should be fired, while Gorny and his lawyers will defend Gorny’s job.

The city released a statement ahead of the hearing:

        “The city administration respects the disciplinary process underway, and now looks to the Board of Public Safety to weigh the evidence            to be presented and arrive at a just outcome.”

Steve Phillips, the Flores family attorney, says the family will be at the hearing. He says there’s one question on the family’s mind ahead of the hearing.

“Why hasn’t justice been served yet? What happened here was absolutely unconscionable and why hasn’t it been served yet?” said Phillips. “The public should be keenly interested in this hearing to make sure that any type of rogue behavior by policemen isn’t tolerated.”

The Board of Public Safety will vote on Gorny’s future with SBPD on November 14.