An officer on leave from the Bellevue Police Department is recuperating from bariatric surgery.
People with knowledge of the situation said Chris Parent, who for three years has been involved in a legal battle with the city over his physical fitness for the job, recently underwent the surgery at Bergan Mercy Medical Center. The procedure is used to address excessive weight.
Bergan Mercy officials confirmed that Parent had been admitted and said that he was transferred March 24 to the nearby Select Specialty Hospital, which works with patients in need of extended acute care.
Parent told The World-Herald on Wednesday that his surgery went well and that he is recovering and feeling “fair.” He declined to comment further.
Parent was fired in 2007 for being unfit for duty and was later reinstated by a court, but he was then put on paid administrative leave. His law enforcement certification was suspended this month after a delay of his 2010 state handgun qualification test was rejected.
His request for a gun test waiver until May 1 was filed Dec. 28 with the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement, which oversees the certification and training of police officers.
In the request, Parent said he was scheduled to have surgery Jan. 4 with an expected recovery time of 12 weeks to 14 weeks. He identified Dr. Corrigan McBride as the surgeon. McBride is a specialist in bariatric and gastrointestinal surgery.
There are several types of bariatric surgery, but the most common are gastric bypass, Lap-Band and the gastric sleeve procedure. The surgeries alter the stomach and intestines, prompting a reduction in food intake.
There are several risks to the surgery, including infections, marginal ulcers and pulmonary problems. But the surgery can provide long-term benefits including weight loss, the reversal of type 2 diabetes and overall improvement in health.
Bellevue city officials declined to comment.
Parent, whose 2005 Nebraska driver's license listed him as being 5-foot-9 and 300 pounds, was fired after fellow officers reported that he had difficulty getting up from a kneeling position during a shooting exercise.
After his reinstatement, Parent was put on paid administrative leave in July 2009. That leave ended when his certification as a police officer expired. Parent can now draw on his accrued vacation time, sick leave or both.
Earlier this year, the city hired Martin Mayer, a California-based lawyer who specializes in police litigation and employment law, as an adviser in the dispute.
World-Herald staff writer Leia Mendoza contributed to this report.
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