Lawsuit: Morrisville cops harassed fellow officer for writing too many tickets, making DUI arrests

A Morrisville cop is suing his department and some fellow officers for emotional distress and harassment, claiming among other things that they called him heartless for writing speeding tickets and making DUI arrests.

William Smith also claims a fellow officer continually tried to harass and embarrass him by exposing her breasts and underwear to him and continually asking about his penis size.

Smith is suing for defamation as well, alleging that a coworker told other cops in Bucks County that Smith was corrupt.

Smith, a borough cop since 2002, blames a lieutenant and a now-retired chief for failure to investigate his complaints or address a "hostile work environment." They put him on the nightshift instead, Smith's suit said.

The suit, filed last week in Bucks County court, seeks more than $50,000 in damages.  Smith and his wife allege that they have endured emotional distress and suffered financial losses because he sought medical attention to address harassment-related stress.

James Downey III, Morrisville's attorney, said the borough's insurance company will handle the matter. Downey said he couldn't comment.

The Inquirer also left a phone message for Fred DeVesa, Morrisville's interim police director.

The defendants in the case are officers Christopher and Erica McIntyre, who are married, officer Jim Bickhardt, Lt. Thomas Herron and recently retired chief Jack Jones.

According to the suit:

Chris McIntyre continually harassed Smith about the number of arrests he made and tickets he wrote, stating that DUI charges "only [mess] up an arrestee's life." McIntyre also called Smith "heartless" and "the Tin Man" for writing tickets to drivers speeding in a school zone.

McIntyre called Smith a "scumbag" who was trying to make himself look good for getting grants to buy new radios, body armor and a police van. McIntyre also told people arrested by Smith that he was a corrupt cop and that they should file complaints against him.

Erica McIntyre "exposed her breasts and underwear to [Smith] on two separate occasions" and asked him "how long his penis was" and "continued to ask how long it was." She also tried to "set up" Smith, arranging for a woman to approach him outside the police station and indicate "she needed a sexual act" in hopes that he would be charged with improper conduct.

Bickhardt told members of Bucks County's police community that Smith was a "crazy and corrupt cop" and "involved in immoral activities off duty, even though  all these statements were untrue."