West Bloomfield Police Officer Had Difficult History with Supervisor, Text Messages Suggest

A series of police text messages sent between two officers who reported to the scene of an Aug. 13 traffic stop involving Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste suggests a difficult history between her and Officer Robert Stephens.

Stephens gave Economou Ureste's husband, Matthew Ureste, a preliminary breath test after he was stopped for running a red light. He tested over the state legal limit for drunk driving. Instead of arresting Ureste, Stephens drove the couple home and was after an administrative investigation.

About 20 minutes after the initial stop, about 2:40 a.m., the backup officer sent a message to Stephens on the car's mobile data system saying: "wait, didn't that (expletive) want you fired or re-trained when you were brand new?"

Police Chief Michael Patton said Thursday that the text referred to an incident which took place prior to him becoming chief last fall, sometime in the first three years of the officer's service. Patton said that the officer revealed to him in an interview during the investigation that a motorist "made a citizen's complaint against (Stephens), and the officer felt the supervisor had some involvement in the resolution of the complaint."

It was not a worthy excuse for the officer's decision, said Patton, nor was it a mitigating factor in his discipline. "He should have called the sergeant if he felt there was a conflict of interest, and our investigation of these messages has revealed that the sergeant was not made privy to the details at that time."

Patton added that the supervisor's possible involvement in the resolution of the complaint would not be uncommon and that he has personally discussed similiar situations with Economou Ureste previously.

The texts began around 2:29 a.m. when Stephens wrote to the backup officer, "(expletive) me." He later wrote, "im a little mad at myself for not hooking him."

"Hooking" is slang for making an arrest.

Stephens continued: "i would never really do it tho, they might not put the millage on the ballot if i do. Lol".

Stephens added: "but i wouldnt wanna do that to chief".

Patton described the series of messages as "unprofessional."

"We have these in place to facilitate business-related communications and these messages were the equivalent of 'talking shop,'" Patton said. "The nature and content of the messages were not truly business related."

Patton added that he did not receive the text messages until Aug. 29, when Stephens had already begun to serve his suspension.

against Ureste because the officer failed to arrest him, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office wrote to the West Bloomfield Police Department. Ureste said at the that he was not drunk.

Ureste could not be reached for comment.