Reader JG notes this disturbing incident, an echo of my privacy scenario post.
Michael Michalski worked for Allegheny County, Pa., as an emergency dispatcher. He began running searches on the internal computer network and databases to locate his former girlfriend…A supervisor… became aware of Michalski’s misuse of government databases and placed him on a deferred suspension….Because he still had access to the databases before his suspension began, Michalski continued to gain unauthorized access to personal information about Phillips….Then, while on suspension, Michalski phoned his co-workers at the call center, who allegedly helped him continue the database lookups even though they were aware it was for an illicit purpose.
On Oct. 29… the supervisor met with Michalski and confronted him…Later that day, Michalski shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, Ferderbar, and her new boyfriend, Phillips, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.