PORTLAND – Two veteran police officers who were fired following the death of a homeless man whom they had left passed out in the Deering Oaks park are trying to get their jobs back.

Police officials say the firing of John A. Virginio, an officer for 18 years, and John N. Morin, a 12-year veteran, reflected the need to maintain public trust in the department.

But a spokesman for a national police union characterized the discharges as an overreaction and said they were unjustified.

City Manager Robert Ganley heard the officers’ appeal Tuesday. Once Ganley renders his decision, the officers can appeal to an independent arbitrator whose decision is final.

The dismissals stem from an Oct. 20 incident in which Virginio and Morin moved an unconscious but breathing David Town, 46, to another location in the park. Town was discovered dead five hours later.

Although he did not consider the officers’ behavior criminal, police Chief Michael Chitwood took the unusual step of firing them following an internal investigation.

“Probably, the most important thing we do is create an impression with citizens that when they call for help, we’re going to come help,” Deputy Chief William Ridge said. “This incident doesn’t help that impression, regardless of whether this had an impact on Town’s life.”

The two police officers were called to the park by city workers who were unable to work in the rose garden because Town was passed out there, a favorite spot of his. The officers moved Town to another area of the park.

Town had a history of excessive drinking and seizures. The officers were unable to wake him and left him there to “sleep it off,” according to police officials.

Although he was breathing when the officers left him, he was found dead that night. A spokeswoman for the State Medical Examiner’s Office said further tests are needed before the cause of death is determined conclusively.

Jim Pasco of the National Fraternal Order of Police said the firing of the officers strikes him as “cowardice in the face of public opinion.”

“I’m sure [the officers] feel as bad as anybody that the guy died, but you can’t predict what is going to happen,” Pasco said. “What’s really difficult is that more and more, we are dissecting an officer’s actions after the fact, using 20-20 hindsight vision.

“The officer doesn’t have that luxury.”

Eric Swenson, a friend of Town’s for seven years, said the officers showed poor judgment.

“If they were going to move him, why didn’t they move him to an ambulance?” Swenson said. “They obviously should have seen that he was in trouble and helped him … Just because we’re street people doesn’t mean we’re worthless.”