Commission gets update on status for lawsuit by former DICE canine officer

The Dickson County Commission met in an executive session Monday night to hear an update on a lawsuit brought by a former canine officer seeking past wages. In the closed meeting following the commission’s work session, attorney Brian Ragan updated commissioners on the lawsuit brought by former Drug Interdiction Criminal Enforcement officer Bryan Johnson, who claims in the federal lawsuit he is owed back wages for time he spent taking care of the county’s drug dog. Johnson filed the suit in August in U.S. District Court in Nashville seeking $75,000 in back wages and compensation. Johnson left the DICE unit and his position as chief of police in Burns in July 2011 to become an officer in Gulf Shores, Alabama. In its response to the suit, the county denies there was any agreement to compensate Johnson for his time spent caring for the dog outside of his normal shifts and contends that some of Johnson’s claims were not brought within the statute of limitations and seeks dismissal of the lawsuit. No hearing has been scheduled at this time. The commission did not reconvene following Monday’s executive session to take any action on the lawsuit.