ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando police officer who was shot in the head while responding to a domestic situation last year may soon get an expedited pension.
Officer Kevin Valencia has not been back to work since the shooting and will likely never go back to work.
Thursday, the Orlando Police Department pension board discussed rushing Valencia’s case through the process because there is no question how and when he was hurt and how severe his injuries are.
Valencia was shot in the head responding to a 911 call at an apartment complex last year.
He is still recovering in a rehab center and the department has allowed him to continue being an officer.
Valencia has not gone through the long pension process.
A process that takes about 18 months because they were waiting for Valencia’s wife to be appointed by the court as his guardian, given his condition.
The request was just granted and it was recommended that they expedite his disability pension.
This would have likely happened anyway, but this is even more important because nobody wants to see Valencia fall into the same situation that officer Michael Napolitano is in.
Channel 9 broke the news when he was notified that he would be fired because he has not been deemed unfit for duty and time has run out for him to be on a limited duty status.
Those positions are being eliminated by the chief of police and pension board chairman Jay Smith doesn’t agree with it.
“It's unfortunate that we got to this point that we can't maintain limited duty positions at the police department.
I think it's unfortunate that the chief of police can't see the value in this,” said Smith.
As for the other officers who were in jeopardy of termination, their pensions were granted today.
Napolitano will have his hearing on Sept. 23, just a week before he is scheduled to be fired.
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