SOUTH BOUND BROOK – A retired borough police officer, a Marine veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart for being injured in Iraq, is suing the borough claiming he was discriminated against because of his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and forced to retired.

A settlement conference is scheduled on Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Thomas Miller in the suit brought by Kevin Klink.

William Healey, the borough's attorney, has denied Klink's allegations in the answer to the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Klink enlisted in the Marines in 2000 and was deployed to Iraq. During his second term of duty in 2004, he was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED).

After being honorably discharged, Klink was diagnosed by the Veterans Administration with PTSD related to his injury. His PTSD treatment is ongoing, the lawsuit states.

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He was hired as a police officer in South Bound Brook in 2007 and for eight years, "consistently received positive performance reviews" while he was also receiving treatment for PTSD, according to the lawsuit.

But in May 2015, Klink became frustrated about his performance on the shooting range and discussed it with colleagues. William King, who was then serving as chief, told Klink, "if you put your gun in your mouth, you wouldn't miss," the suit alleges, adding that it is "well-known and well-established that individuals suffering from PTSD attempt and commit suicide" at a rate far greater than the general population.

King, the suit also charges, told Klink during another incident at the shooting range "gotta send you back to boot camp, get gunny to teach you, Private Pyle," a reference to Stanley Kubrick's film, "Full Metal Jacket."

Klink's complaint about King's behavior was submitted to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office which investigated the allegations.

On. Dec. 1, 2015, King retired while facing allegations he was involved in a hit-and-run accident. King, who retired with a $255,000 package from the borough, was later found guilty of careless driving, fined $280 and had his license revoked for 90 days. Charges of leaving the scene of an accident, failing to report an accident and improper backing were dismissed.

In 2016, Klink applied to join the Somerset County SWAT team and passed the tests, but in April 2017 he was informed that he was disqualified from joining the SWAT team because of "concerns" expressed by a psychologist about his PTSD, according to the suit.

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When he heard the news, Klink became upset over the psychologist's conclusion and asked new Chief Jeff Titus for paid leave. Titus, the suit charges, told Klink this was "not the end of the world" and "don't go kill yourself."

A month later, Klink was ordered to undergo another fitness for duty psychological exam and after the examination, he was suspended with pay. In December 2017, Kink and the borough reached an agreement that the officer would be allowed to apply for disability retirement with the state Police and Fireman's Retirement System (PFRS). Klink was 35.

However, according to the lawsuit, South Bound Brook has delayed filing the paperwork with the PFRS and that has delayed Klink receiving his benefits.

In its answer to the lawsuit, the borough denies "it has failed to take all necessary actions to facilitate (Klink's) receipt of disability pension benefits."

The suit charges that the borough failed to protect Klink from "discrimination, harassment and a hostile work environment."

Klink also alleges that he was the victim of retaliation because the borough failed to file the necessary paperwork after he filed the lawsuit.

Staff Writer Mike Deak wrote his first story about a South Bound Brook police officer suing the borough in 1981. He can be contacted at 908-243-6607; mdeak@mycentraljersey.com.