Officer Who Skipped Riot Upset Over Firing

MIDDLETOWN, Ind. -- A former Middletown police officer is considering legal action against the town after it fired him for not going to April's New Castle prison riot.

Middletown's town council voted 5-0 Thursday to fire Tony Robbins, who was in another county when officers from the area -- on duty and off duty -- were asked to help with the riot at New Castle Correctional Facility.

Robbins (pictured), a 23-year veteran, said he was off-duty and walking in a park with his wife in Anderson when a police dispatcher called his cell phone April 24.

According to records of his disciplinary hearing, Robbins responded, "So?" when the dispatcher told him of the riot, and said, "Is this really necessary?" when told he was needed to help establish a perimeter.

But Robbins told 6News' Ray Cortopassi that he merely questioned the dispatcher and never told her no.

"It didn’t happen the way that this dispatcher is saying that it did," Robbins said.

Middletown Police Chief Randy Wray said all off-duty officers in his department are subject to calls in an emergency.

"It's fairly cut and dry in our department's standard operating procedures," Wray said.

Martha Minnick, one of the council members who voted for Robbins' firing, said the council followed the letter of the law.

Robbins said has never refused to do his duty, and that he wants his job back. He has hired an attorney, but no lawsuit had been filed as of Monday afternoon.

"If I didn't want the department to contact me for any reason, I wouldn't even had (the cell phone) with me. I answered the phone call," Robbins said.

About 500 prisoners burned mattresses and broke windows during the two-hour riot. Eight prisoners and two staff members were injured, none seriously.

Twenty-eight inmates were charged this month with felonies and misdemeanors in connection with the riot.

Middletown is about 12 miles northwest of New Castle.