Exclusive interview: Mount Vernon mayor on granting extension to terminated gravely ill officer
MOUNT VERNON, New York (WABC) -- The mayor of Mount Vernon spoke to Eyewitness News on Thursday to discuss her decision to offer an extension to a police officer battling kidney failure who was set to be terminated.
"When it comes to catastrophic illness, there are heartstrings that are pulled and there are other things that might need to be considered," Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said Thursday.
Mount Vernon's mayor weighed in on Derek Williams, the police officer facing termination on Dec. 31. The former ESU cop has been unable to work for the last two years because of kidney failure.
"I do nine hours of dialysis, seven days a week to maintain my health. Without that, I wouldn't survive," Williams told Eyewitness News on Tuesday.
Williams says his health started to decline after contracting COVID during the height of the pandemic.
And he says police brass ordered him back to work because his illness was non-work-related.
But the city says that determination was never made because Williams never filed paperwork under 207-C, the state law that covers wages and medical expenses for police officers injured on the job.
"We've gone and checked our records to make sure we didn't lose, miss emails, miss any paperwork submitted. The bottom line is we're willing to meet," Patterson-Howard said.
More importantly, the city is extending an olive branch. Termination would cut off Williams' health insurance just six months shy of qualifying for a reduced pension.
"He said he needed six months to apply for a medical disability, and we're going to extend it for six months so that he can maintain his medical coverage that he continues to pay into," Patterson-Howard said.
The 45-year-old's story has gone viral, generated kidney donation offers, and a GoFundMe page has been launched.
The city says its decision is about extending grace, not saving face.
"For me, it's not just about public pressure. I have to deal with public pressure every single day when I have to make decisions that are popular and some are unpopular," Patterson-Howard said.
Williams is suddenly facing developments on several fronts.
He tells Eyewitness News that he's considering the city's offer but will meet with department brass only with the proper representation present.
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