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An officer at the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office filed suit Monday against Sheriff Jim Winder, who he says demoted him without cause.

Nicholas Roberts, who recently went from the rank of lieutenant to sergeant, alleges in the federal lawsuit that Winder terminated his merit position of range master-firearms instructor — a position he had held for more than 20 years — and demoted him from the rank of lieutenant to sergeant.

Along with this move, Roberts' pay was reduced and his responsibilities changed to that of patrol sergeant.

Winder declined a request for comment Monday, citing the pending litigation, according to Unified Police Department spokesman Lt. Brian Lohrke.

According to the suit filed in U.S. District Court, UPD Undersheriff Scott Carver and UPD Chief Deputy Shane Hudson met with Roberts on March 1 on Winder's behalf. During the meeting, they informed Roberts that Winder had "decided to eliminate" the merit position he held because Winder decided "it was time for a change," the suit says.

Hudson also told Roberts at the meeting that he had "done nothing wrong," the suit says, but that Roberts' rank and pay would be reduced to that of a sergeant on April 16 — a pay cut of $10 per hour — and that "at almost 60-years of age, [Roberts] would be assigned to patrol duties."

On March 3, Carver suggested to Roberts that he should consider retiring, the suit states, and on March 8, Roberts was ordered to "clean out his desk" of all personal items and leave the firing range. On March 10, a UPD department-wide order publicly stated that Roberts rank and pay would be reduced on April 16 and that he would be reassigned to patrol.

The suit alleges that Winder violated Roberts' constitutional rights and "arbitrarily eliminated the merit position of range master-firearms instructor without the consent and/or approval of the Salt Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Merit Commission," the body with the authority to make decisions regarding merit systems officers, according to the suit.

The Utah Deputy Sheriffs'-Merit System Act, cited in the suit, states that an officer may only receive a reduction in rank or pay in cases of "neglect of duty, disobedience or a reasonable order, misconduct, inefficiency or inability to satisfactorily perform duties or an act inimical to the public service."

Winder's "malicious" actions have caused Roberts not only to loss of income, the suit says, but also to suffer "great public humiliation and emotional distress."

Roberts is asking for an order restoring him to his former merit position and the rank and pay grade of lieutenant, the suit says. He is also requesting compensatory damages, including lost wages, exemplary damages and attorneys' fees.

Twitter: @mnoblenews