A Georgetown police officer who was fired in March 2021 has lost his appeal to the Town Council.
While off-duty in 2019, Edgar Verde was charged with driving under the influence after refusing “all field and chemical tests.” That resulted in his driver’s license being suspended and his firing from the Georgetown Police Department.
He challenged that decision on multiple levels. At a March Town Council meeting, Verde’s lawyer said the state had dropped the DUI charge and his client's license was to be reinstated. But a month later, the council unanimously upheld the firing.
When reached by phone, Verde deferred to his lawyers, who did not return phone calls by Friday afternoon.
Due to Delaware’s “implied consent” law, Verde’s July 20, 2019, refusal to test for DUI automatically resulted in his license being suspended for a year. He was issued a formal notice March 3, 2020.
All Georgetown employees whose jobs rely on driving a town-owned vehicle must have a license, according to the town code, and the town’s insurance representative said “Verde would likely be uninsurable for two to three years,” town documents state as the reason for the firing.
Town Manager Eugene Dvornick notified Verde on March 16, 2020, that he would be terminated effective March 29, 2020, according to town documents. He offered Verde a chance to meet prior to his termination, documents say, but Verde did not take that opportunity.
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