Cop who championed rights for disabled people retires

A fleeing suspect's car crashed into Officer Michael J. Sullivan's patrol car on Jan. 18, 1982, in the Mission District. Sullivan was seriously injured in this crash and permanently disabled. When he returned to work, he became the San Francisco Police Department's coordinator for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and a celebrated champion of, and expert on, the legislation as it pertains to law enforcement. He retired May 1, 2009 with the rank of sergeant. less A fleeing suspect's car crashed into Officer Michael J. Sullivan's patrol car on Jan. 18, 1982, in the Mission District. Sullivan was seriously injured in this crash and permanently disabled. When he returned ... more Photo: San Francisco Police Department Photo: San Francisco Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Cop who championed rights for disabled people retires 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Sgt. Michael J. Sullivan, a patrol cop who became a renowned expert on the Americans With Disabilities Act after being injured on duty, hung up his spurs Friday after 32 years at the San Francisco Police Department.

Sullivan's leg and heart were seriously injured in January 1982 when a fleeing suspect's car landed on top of Sullivan's patrol cruiser in the Mission District, pinning him inside, police said.

He returned to duty 1 1/2 years later, walking with a cane. When Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990, Sullivan became the department's ADA expert, learning how the act related to law enforcement and then implementing those changes.

He ensured that all people had access to police services at local stations, the Hall of Justice and over the phone. He trained officers on how to better interact with people with mental illness. He arranged for interpreters for the deaf to be on call around the clock and for special vans to be available to transfer those with limited mobility.

Sullivan's work has been honored by several mayors, the Board of Supervisors, the state Legislature and Congress.

In 2005, Mayor Gavin Newsompresented him with a community leadership award for making San Francisco more accessible. Sullivan received the award on crutches - recovering from his 10th surgery stemming from his original injuries.

- John Coté

Put down the Cheerios: Bizarre landlord-tenant disputes aren't unheard of in our fair city. But this is one for the history books.

Landlord George David has gone to court to evict a tenant who was living amid so much feces and urine in his 2857 Bush St. apartment that a crime-scene cleanup company charged $18,000 to abate the health hazard, court documents show.

The unsanitary conditions also led to tenant Todd McCullough getting his feet amputated after gout in his leg became infected and he developed gangrene, according to court filings.

But McCullough wants to stay in the apartment he's lived in for the last 16 years and says the landlord is illegally trying to evict him in violation of state law and San Francisco's rent control ordinance.

McCullough says he's being discriminated against because of a disability - gout, and now his lack of feet - and that David's true motive is to evict him so he can jack up the $750-a-month rent for a new tenant.

David's attorney, Hilary Hedemark, says the case is straightforward: McCullough "caused a life-threatening bio-hazard to exist at the premises" in violation of his lease, ignored requests to clean it up and failed to pay rent.

The city's Health Department issued two notices to clean up the unsanitary conditions, and photos in the court file are not pretty.

The trial is scheduled for Monday.

- John Coté