Fund Manager, Public Safety Personnel Retirement System v. City of Phoenix Police Department Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Board

OPINION

MEYERSON, Judge.

When City of Phoenix policeman Joseph R. Coplan was hired in 1971, state law provided that he would receive an accidental disability pension if an injury incurred in the performance of his job prevented him from performing his regularly assigned duties. Nine years later, the law was amended to provide for a disability pension only if an employee was unable to perform a reasonable range of duties within his department. Several months later, Coplan was injured while on duty as a motorcycle patrolman. Coplan discontinued his work as a motorcycle officer in 1983 and applied…