County Solely Liable for Off-Duty Officer's Injuries on Traffic Assignment

A divided North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that an off-duty officer was not jointly employed by the county and the construction company that contracted with the sheriff’s department to secure officers for traffic control services. Stephen Lassiter worked for the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, which allowed its law enforcement officers to earn additional income by accepting off-duty employment opportunities. RCSO’s written policy for off-duty work required officers to obtain the prior approval of the sheriff or his designee before accepting assignments.   In Octobe...