Chicago, IL—Second City Cop is reporting that Chicago police officer Mike Mette who is fresh out of that Iowa prison has been attending classes at the academy. That means he was given his star, shield ID card and new pile of training materials. Mette is in what’s called a retread (as in used rubber tires) class held for officers who have been off for extended periods such as leaves of absence. I can’t think of another similar case where an officer was convicted of a crime, sent to prison and later cleared on appeal going back to work. This training covers new laws and departmental rules and procedures and requalification on the firing range. Soon a personnel order will be cut sending him to his permanent assignment. It remains to be seen if he returns to Fillmore (011) or is sent elsewhere. Crimefile wishes Mette the assignment of his choice and some much needed privacy to continue his life. Mette is going to discover the department has changed a lot since he last worked the ...

Des Moines, IA—The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled on the controversial case of Chicago police officer Michael Mette . Mette has been serving hard time in Iowa’s prison system. So far Mette has been behind bars for nearly an entire year. It was on October 8th 2005, Chicago police officer Michael Mette of the Fillmore District was attacked by a Dubuque college student, 20-year-old Jake Gothard while attending a birthday celebration at his brother’s home. Before it was over, officer Mette was arrested, prosecuted, convicted and has been serving a mandatory five-year Iowa prison term. The problem with the conviction is that Mette’s action came as a result of pure self-defense to avoid injury from an assault by the drunken Gothard. The assault was compounded by the findings by a lower court judge who convicted Mette despite strong evidence that there was no crime. While in prison Mette complained of abdominal pain and was refused medical treatment. Mette had appendicitis and finall...

Chicago, IL —It was October 8th 2005 when Chicago police officer Michael Mette of the Fillmore District was attacked by a Dubuque college student, 20-year-old Jake Gothard while attending a birthday celebration at his brother’s home. Before it was over this week, officer Mette was arrested, prosecuted, convicted and now faces a mandatory five-year Iowa prison term. Iowa justice is beyond strange because at a Dubuque County Court bench trial the judge, Judge Monica Ackley found that Chicago Police Officer Mette "was not the initial aggressor of this incident," Jake Gothard was. Astonishingly, Judge Ackley ruled that Mette was guilty, because even after Gothard struck him three times, Mette should have just ignored it and retreated. Officer Mette's infamous felony crime was to punch the 6 foot, 2 inch tall Gothard once in self-defense knocking him out. Gothard has demonstrated his inability to hold his liquor landing on local court dockets on a regular basis. Mette...