Mike Sheehan, Fox 5 reporter and former NYPD cop, has been fired
Friday, April 24th 2009, 6:17 PM
Keh for News Reporter Mike Sheehan has been fired from Fox 5.
Veteran New York city cop-turned-reporter Mike Sheehan has been fired by WNYW/Ch. 5 after 16 years at the station.
Sheehan, who has been on suspension since being arrested in March for hitting an NYPD horse with his car, learned he was fired in a letter delivered Friday.
"It was a kick in the chest," Sheehan told the Daily News. "Sixteen years I've been there. I can't believe it."
Sheehan had been working without a contract and had no contact with station management on the issue. His wife told him a letter arrived saying he was done.
"Apparently, they want to terminate me based on this ridiculous accident," Sheehan said.
After the March incident, Sheehan was charged with reckless endangerment and operating a vehicle while intoxicated and impaired. He is due back in court on May 19 and has repeatedly denied the charges.
"I want to get this stupid accident behind me, which I feel strongly we're going to beat," he said.
Sheehan spent 25 years in the NYPD, dealing with such high-profile cases as the Robert Chambers preppie murder case and the controversial Central Park jogger investigation.
He left police work in 1993 and had been with Ch. 5 ever since.
A station spokeswoman confirmed Sheehan was no longer with the station.
"I had 16 wonderful years there," Sheehan said. "What can I say? I'm not done. I'm looking for employment tomorrow."
Word of the firing stunned co-workers, who said loosing Sheehan is a big blow.
"I think everybody knows Mike knows what he's talking about when he talks about the city," said a station source. "He is New York. I think it's a big deal. It's a big loss for us."
Before the horse accident, Sheehan told the Daily News he missed the thrill of the hunt when he was on the force but had fulfilled some of that need by chasing new stories.
He admitted it took a while to get the hang of reporting, but he loved telling stories. Ultimately, he'd become successful in both worlds.
Besides being a reporter, Sheehan was also the AFTRA shop steward at Ch. 5. He also continued to lecture on investigations to police groups.
His departure comes during a time of great upheaval at most of the local television stations, all of which are dealing with a depressed advertising marketplace and changing audience viewing patterns.
Ch. 5 is in negotiations with the union representing off-camera staffers with cuts expected in those ranks, and a handful of off-camera people had previously been released.
Bu firing Sheehan, the station removes yet another salary from the books.
"I'm not going anywhere," Sheehan said Friday. "I'm hoping to God, I can report for someone else in New York.
"I feel bad," he added. "I know I had a lot of fans. I love telling New York stories.…I'll be back. I'm not going away."
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