IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol is moving to terminate the employment of a ranking officer who had been one of its rising stars.
A document obtained under the open records law by The Associated Press shows Sgt. Michael Haugen was informed May 3 that he was being fired “due to misconduct.”
The patrol’s parent agency, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, has not provided any further details. A related criminal investigation has been opened.
Haugen has the right to appeal and would continue to be paid until the termination becomes final.
The 31-year-old had been a trooper for a decade at the patrol’s Mason City post, which serves eight counties in northern Iowa. Last year he was promoted to sergeant, a rank that only a few dozen patrol officers hold.
