They were supposed to be on the same side of the law.
Now, in a new lawsuit, two former Fairview police officers are accusing their own DA of plotting against them.
"You would never have made me believe that this is how my career was supposed to end -- not in a million years," said former Lt. Shane Dunning.
For 20 years, Shane Dunning's life was all about fighting the bad guys.
These days, the former Fairview police lieutenant is fighting city hall.
"Personally, to say that it was a nightmare would be an understatement. It's damaged my marriage, it's damaged a lot of friendships."
In the lawsuit, Dunning and former lieutenant Pat Stockdale accuse Franklin DA Kim Helper of ruining their careers and getting them fired from by the city of Fairview.
"General Helper's unseemly conduct was a product of the arrogance of power," the lawsuit states.
"Based upon personal motivations unrelated to any duty of her office, and a desire to intervene in the business of a municipality in which she had no authority of any kind, the Defendant Helper intentionally and maliciously ruined the distinguished careers of two senior officers of the Fairview Police Department, against whom there were no complaints of wrongdoing of any kind."
(Read the lawsuit here.)
The officers' lawyer, Gary Blackburn, said Helper stepped well outsider her authority.
"What she is not entitled to do, the complaint alleges, is to interfere with the work of a municipality and, in this instance, send an email which she had to have known included language would keep these men from ever becoming police officers again after this job," Blackburn added.
The whole controversy stems from an investigation of shenanigans inside the Fairview Police Department involving off-duty jobs involving other people.
Some of the figures in that investigation fired back with allegations against Dunning and Stockdale.
In July, the city fired the two men, who filed a federal lawsuit.
The city settled, and the two men returned to work.
"I was able to return to work and worked probably 50 to 55 days, then all of a sudden there's a problem," Dunning said.
That problem, according to the lawsuit, was an email sent by Helper essentially saying that, because of the allegations in the old report, she would have trouble prosecuting cases they made.
The lawsuit includes text messages suggesting Helper was lobbying to get the men fired.
"There was nothing in this report that could ever be introduced into evidence to cross examine or impeach either of my clients -- and that's plain," Blackburn said.
Dunning said he has paid a huge price.
"No one will hire me based upon this opinion. So basically everything that I've worked for for 20 years is gone"
The lawsuit alleges that General Helper knew of another officer who had lied on the stand, yet did not push to have that officer fired.
It points to text messages in which Helper said she never wanted to see either of these men ever become Fairview's chief of police.
The lawsuit seeks $1 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from both Helper and the city of Fairview.
Helper declined to comment.
