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Capt. Brooks leaves Ashland police By Sara Murphy ASHLAND � After an 18-year career with the Ashland Police Department, Capt. Lisa Brooks won�t be working for the city after today, Chief Scott Fleuter said Wednesday. Citing public record law on personnel matters, Fleuter declined to say whether Brooks resigned or was fired. The action comes on the heels of an internal investigation into an incident in which a dispatcher claims Brooks assaulted her, injuring a bone in her hand. Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston denied the Mail Tribune�s petition to release the findings of the police department�s internal affairs investigation. Huddleston did, however, order the city to release a two-page letter dated Wednesday from Fleuter to Brooks that "constitutes a completed disciplinary action wherein a sanction has been imposed." The city has seven days to either comply with or contest the order. City Administrator Greg Scoles said Wednesday he needed to speak with the city�s attorney before releasing the letter, which he did not have in his possession. Brooks has been on paid leave since July 5, when dispatcher Mary Ann Siegel reported she had been assaulted by Brooks in the police station, causing an injury to the navicular bone between her right thumb and wrist. Oregon State Police detectives conducted a criminal investigation of the incident. To avoid any conflict of interest, the case is being handled by the Lane County District Attorney�s office. No charges have been filed. Buzz Mattson, the assistant district attorney handling the case, could not be reached for comment. The criminal and internal affairs investigations stem from Ashland police dispatcher Mary Ann Siegel�s report that she was assaulted by Brooks at about 5:30 a.m. July 5 at the police station. The incident occurred several hours after Ashland police quietly ended a two-hour standoff with an intoxicated man who reportedly brandished a black-powder rifle. Siegel was dispatching during the standoff while Brooks assisted the incident commander on the scene. A source familiar with the case told the Mail Tribune that several hours later, Brooks and Siegel had a dispute in the police station lunchroom that led to the alleged assault. Brooks has been on paid administrative leave for nearly a month, awaiting the conclusion of Fleuter�s internal investigation. Siegel, who had been with the department for about three months at the time of the incident, was on medical leave for two weeks and returned to work July 24. "I just want to get on with my life and my work," Siegel said, adding that she feels badly about the situation. Still, Siegel said, "None of this that ever happened to me was provoked, nor was it warranted." Siegel said her hand has recovered from the injury and she has not had any problems at work since her return. Brooks, who lives in Phoenix, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. As Ashland�s only captain and No. 2 officer, her duties included budgeting and overseeing support staff, including the dispatch unit. Brooks has been with the department almost continuously since 1982. She worked as a dispatcher and an officer before being named Ashland�s first female sergeant in 1993 at age 30. Last year she was promoted to captain. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA