Mesa officer stricken with Lou Gehrig’s disease to keep job
 
Reported by: Kyle Burke
Email: kburke@abc15.com
Reported by: Katie Fisher
Last Update: 9:17 pm

MESA, AZ -- A Mesa police officer who says he was fired due to his struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease will reportedly keep his job, according to a source.

Dave Cieslak, with the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, said the Mesa F.O.P. assisted Officer Mark Kelly with negotiations involving top Mesa officials and the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System.

On Wednesday, the City reportedly reversed an earlier decision to deny Kelly’s benefits and end his employment contract.

Kelly was diagnosed nine months ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

When Kelly couldn't shoot his gun with his left hand during regular shooting exercises for the Mesa Police Department, he went to the doctor.

Now Kelly, just 30-years old, is confined to a wheelchair because his legs no longer work.

After being diagnosed with the disease, he says the department put him on light duty, taking reports from walk-ins and over the phone.

He even bought his own software so he could vocally dictate the reports into his computer once he could no longer type.

"I still feel like I can be productive as a police officer and help out the department," Kelly said.

Just this past Monday he was called into a meeting with the Mesa Chief of Police and he says he was told that the City of Mesa has rejected his transition to a light duty station officer.

Kelly said after he uses up his vacation and sick leave he would be forced to take early retirement.

Several Mesa Police officers also tried to help by donating some of their vacation time to Kelly in order to extend his stay with the department.

Under his early retirement pension, Kelly would make about $10,000 a year.

Kelly and his wife Elizabeth just recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary.

Elizabeth is currently pregnant with the couple's first daughter, they already have four sons.

If Kelly had been forced to take the early retirement, he would not be able to support his family and they would have lost their home.

If he is still employed with the city when he passed away from the disease, his family would receive a $30,000 a year pension.

"I'm not looking out for myself here," said Kelly. "I'm looking out for the well being of my family."

Cieslak said Kelly will no longer have to worry, as he will now be able to serve as a police officer in the station when possible, and from home as situations dictate, with no reduction in benefits.

“Since the start of this whole mess, the Mesa F.O.P. has always been the first in line to ask me what I need help with,” Kelly said. “I knew that my fellow officers would be there when I needed them the most.”

The Mesa Police Department issued a statement about Kelly's situation Wednesday.

See the full statement below.

Mesa Police Department response

The City of Mesa and the Mesa Police Department have, and will continue to be concerned with the well being of Officer Mark Kelly and all our employees. Officer Kelly has not been terminated. Sadly, Officer Kelly is unable to perform the functions of a police officer. As a result, the Department has met with Officer Kelly and discussed the various options available to him. Additionally, the Department is in contact with state entities to discuss possible alternatives and determine lawful solutions. In the mean time, we are providing every resource available for Officer Kelly, to assist him and his family during these difficult times.