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A Carrollton police officer named Cory Cook, a 20-year veteran of the department, has been suspended from work for being overweight. For a “fitness for duty” evaluation, he was put on administrative leave last week. The cop will be paid until the department confirms that he is fit enough to perform his duty. The steps taken prior to Cook’s suspension are unclear.

A defense attorney and former McKinney police officer, Pete Schulte, said that being physically fit is a part of police officer’s job.

“If they get so out of breath [in a foot chase] that they can’t draw their gun and fire, that’s an issue,” Schulte said.

Carrollton police said they will follow a fitness for duty process outlined in state law and Cook will have to get evaluated with a doctor. He will have to get evaluated by a city’s doctor in case the department disagrees with the previous one. If both the evaluations do not match, then the Carrollton police officer will have to get evaluated at a panel of doctors appointed by the department. His re-joining will be based in the doctor’s report.

-Sumana