The Phoenix Police Pension Board did not make a determination Tuesday about whether the estate of a former officer who committed suicide will get his pension benefits, but the board did rule on two issues related to the case.
Former Phoenix police officer Craig Tiger committed suicide in November 2014, two years, his friends said, after he shot and killed a man while on duty. The incident was found to be "in policy," but Tiger was not the same, said those who knew him. After an arrest for DUI he was diagnosed with PTSD and later fired. His friends said the events all led to him taking his life.
On Tuesday, the board decided to excuse the fact that the request for benefits fell outside a one-year deadline. Families usually have one year to request benefits. In this case the request came in after that time frame.
The board also ruled that the DUI that was listed as the reason for Tiger's termination was, in fact, connected to his PTSD.
The board is waiting for a medical examiner to determine if Tiger's PTSD would have allowed him to conduct his job duties.
The board will vote on the estate pension question after those M.E. findings. No time frame has been set for that decision.
