Catherine Capriles, Palo Alto's deputy fire chief, is suing the city for an unspecified amount of money and seeks a writ of mandate after being suspended in September 2016 by the department for three days for alleged misconduct, according to documents filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
The dispute stems from an incident in 2016 during which Capriles is alleged to have used a fire engine and crew for personal purposes to check out safety concerns in her Mountain View neighborhood. She allegedly bypassed the battalion chief and went directly to a captain to order the engine and crew to her neighborhood at The Crossings, according to document filed with the court.
Fire Chief Eric Nickel issued a Notice of Intent of Disciplinary Action against Capriles on Sept. 19, 2016, after a neighbor filed a complaint with the department in March of that year.