Missouri officer says he was fired after reporting police chief’s alleged knife and rape threat
AURORA, Mo. — A man has filed a lawsuit against the City of Aurora, claiming he was fired in retaliation after reporting Aurora Police Chief Wes Coatney threatened a female officer with a knife and threatened rape.
In a petition filed March 16 in Lawrence County Circuit Court, Tatum Maples claims the city unlawfully terminated her employment in April 2025 after she reported what she said she witnessed at the police department.
According to the lawsuit, Maples said she saw Coatney hold a pocket knife to the throat of a female subordinate employee in mid-March 2025, telling her he could rape her and that “there was nothing he could do about it.”
The petition alleges that Coatney knew Maples had witnessed the incident.
Maples said she told her supervisor what she saw shortly afterwards and intended to make a formal complaint against Coatney. According to the lawsuit, on April 3, 2025, Maples sent an email to the Aurora city clerk and city manager reporting the alleged assault.
The lawsuit alleges that Coatney subsequently directed two administrative investigations into Maples, one in connection with the September 2024 vehicle pursuit and the other in connection with the December 2024 arrest.
Maples alleges that the city terminated her employment on April 10, 2025, about a week after she formally reported Coatney’s alleged behavior.
The petition alleges that the firing violated Missouri’s public employee whistleblower protection law. He also claims the city violated the Missouri Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights during the investigation that led to his termination.
According to the lawsuit, Maples was interviewed on April 10, 2025, as part of an administrative investigation into his actions during the December 2024 arrest, but he was not given a copy of the complaint or written notice of the investigation until at least 24 hours in advance.
The suit also alleges that neither Maples nor her attorney or representative was given the opportunity to review the complaint before meeting.
The petition also alleges that the city violated state law by failing to complete an investigation stemming from a citizen complaint related to the September 2024 pursuit within 90 days.
Maples is asking the court to award damages in excess of $25,000 for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress and damage to her reputation, along with attorney fees and other costs.
He is also seeking reinstatement, back pay, benefits and an order nullifying the city’s actions against him.
The petition states that Aurora City Manager Carrie Howlett stated at an administrative hearing on June 20, 2025, that she decided to terminate Maples’ employment. According to the lawsuit, Howlett said the decision came after receiving Maples’ complaint about Coatney, but that he was “completely unrelated” to it.
Ozarks First reached out to the city and Coatney’s email for comment. There has been no response yet.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video, go to KOLR – OzarksFirst.com.
