On March 8, a veteran police officer in the North Royalton Police Department was indicted on perjury, tampering with evidence and falsification. He was previously investigated after a judge’s ruling last fall that challenged his charges of an OVI.
In April, 2018, a man was pulled over for a tinted window violation and a non-operating license plate light. The man was ultimately charged for those two misdemeanors, as well as OVI, Failure to Comply with Order or Signal of Police Officer and Resisting Arrest. The police initiating the traffic stop reported that the vehicle did not stop immediately when his lights were activated, but did come to a stop soon after he sounded his siren. He also reported that the driver showed signs of impairment, such as bloodshot, red and watery eyes, dazed, disoriented , with slurred speech. A field sobriety test was then issued and the man arrested.
The case was sent to Parma Municipal Court. During a suppression hearing, Judge Timothy Gilligan dismissed the case after the defendant produced a cell phone recording that was taken during the incident, which contradicted what was reported by police. In an opinion Gilligan wrote on October 24, he states that the “video tape demonstrated that the Defendant exhibited not even the slightest indication of ‘dazed, disoriented, drunk-like and uncooperative demeanor, thick, mumbled and slurred speech,’ as attested to by (the officer) at the time of the arrest.” Information reported on the field sobriety test also contained information that was not correct. Gilligan wrote that, “the evidence presented throughout the Motion to Suppress demonstrated that (the officer) filed an official police report replete with inaccuracies, and falsehoods. He further attested to these inaccurate statements while under oath.”
The man filed a formal complaint with the North Royalton Police Department against the patrolman, as well as two other officers that were present during the arrest. The officer was being investigated by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office, who filed a motion in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, naming Attorney Michael Maloney as special prosecutor.
In a statement released by Mayor Bob Stefanik’s office, “The City of North Royalton takes police misconduct allegations seriously and is very disappointed that one of its police officers has been criminally charged. There is a specific process that should be and must be followed, according to the letter of the law. The City of North Royalton has been engaged in this process since it was first brought to our attention and will continue to fully cooperate with all involved parties. In our ongoing effort to protect the public and in conformity with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, (the officer) was placed on administrative desk duty during the pending criminal investigation. With the filing of the indictment, the City promptly removed (the officer) from duty pursuant to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. While we recognize the seriousness of the offenses, (the officer), like all citizens, is entitled to the presumption of innocence during the pendency of the criminal proceedings.”
On the indictment, North Royalton Council President Larry Antoskiewicz said it “is very disappointing to me because I know the dedication and hard work our police department puts in to protecting our residents.” He added that, “I know in the past our administration has researched the issue of outfitting our cruisers with dash cams or our officers with body cams. I believe this is the perfect time to intensify those discussions and have asked Councilman Langshaw, Safety Chairman, to add this subject to the Safety Committee agenda and look forward to discussing this issue in detail.”
The arraignment is scheduled for March 22 at 8:30 a.m. at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer