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By Phil Trexler
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:20 p.m. EST, Nov 09, 2009
The village of Peninsula has fired its police chief, who has shot back with a court appeal contending the mayor unfairly targeted him.
Former Chief Kevin McCue filed his appeal in Summit County Common Pleas Court. He was fired Oct. 30 after two days of testimony before Village Council.
Council voted 6-0 to terminate McCue, who had been chief since 2002. No replacement has been named.
McCue filed his appeal Friday. The case was assigned to Judge Tom Teodosio. A ruling is not expected for at least several weeks.
The chief has been under fire since August, when Mayor Dick Fisher requested that sheriff's deputies investigate myriad allegations against McCue.
A month later, deputies concluded their investigation without bringing any charges.
In October, Fisher took his case to council, which heard testimony against McCue from the mayor and several village officers.
John F. Hill, McCue's attorney, said the allegations against the chief focused on his log sheets and visits to his home in Boston Heights. Hill said that a camera mounted inside McCue's cruiser, which should only have been activated in conjunction with the vehicle's sirens and lights, recorded the chief's movements for about a year.
Logs at issue
Fisher alleged that the chief's logs at times were inconsistent with the cruiser camera, which showed McCue visiting his home, about a mile from the village borders, Hill said.
''It all added up to us that this was just a personal thing for the mayor and we didn't think the council would do the mayor's bidding on this, but apparently that was not the case,'' Hill said.
The mayor and McCue locked horns soon after Fisher took office in 2008. Fisher quickly ordered the door to the chief's office removed.
This year, Fisher made such allegations against McCue as running his personal business on village time and improperly investigating an adult porn star who lives in Peninsula. None of the allegations was substantiated.
On Monday, Fisher referred questions to Leland Cole, the village's attorney.
Cole said a series of issues was brought out during the hearing with council, including the log sheets.
Council had the option of taking no action, suspending McCue for up to 60 days or removing him from office.
''It's not appropriate conduct for a police chief; at least that's what we believe,'' Cole said.
McCue, 52, made about $44,600 a year supervising a staff of four full-time officers and about 10 part-time officers covering the village and Boston Township.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
The village of Peninsula has fired its police chief, who has shot back with a court appeal contending the mayor unfairly targeted him.
Former Chief Kevin McCue filed his appeal in Summit County Common Pleas Court. He was fired Oct. 30 after two days of testimony before Village Council.
Council voted 6-0 to terminate McCue, who had been chief since 2002. No replacement has been named.
McCue filed his appeal Friday. The case was assigned to Judge Tom Teodosio. A ruling is not expected for at least several weeks.
The chief has been under fire since August, when Mayor Dick Fisher requested that sheriff's deputies investigate myriad allegations against McCue.
A month later, deputies concluded their investigation without bringing any charges.
In October, Fisher took his case to council, which heard testimony against McCue from the mayor and several village officers.
John F. Hill, McCue's attorney, said the allegations against the chief focused on his log sheets and visits to his home in Boston Heights. Hill said that a camera mounted inside McCue's cruiser, which should only have been activated in conjunction with the vehicle's sirens and lights, recorded the chief's movements for about a year.
Logs at issue
Fisher alleged that the chief's logs at times were inconsistent with the cruiser camera, which showed McCue visiting his home, about a mile from the village borders, Hill said.
''It all added up to us that this was just a personal thing for the mayor and we didn't think the council would do the mayor's bidding on this, but apparently that was not the case,'' Hill said.
The mayor and McCue locked horns soon after Fisher took office in 2008. Fisher quickly ordered the door to the chief's office removed.
This year, Fisher made such allegations against McCue as running his personal business on village time and improperly investigating an adult porn star who lives in Peninsula. None of the allegations was substantiated.
On Monday, Fisher referred questions to Leland Cole, the village's attorney.
Cole said a series of issues was brought out during the hearing with council, including the log sheets.
Council had the option of taking no action, suspending McCue for up to 60 days or removing him from office.
''It's not appropriate conduct for a police chief; at least that's what we believe,'' Cole said.
McCue, 52, made about $44,600 a year supervising a staff of four full-time officers and about 10 part-time officers covering the village and Boston Township.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, Oh
Posted 09:05 PM, 11/09/2009
Kevin, i don't know you man, but it may have just been your turn to play the witch in the mayor's witch hunt.
A couple of allegations against ME (besides accidentally violating a zoning ordinance with my fair trade business of hand beaded jewelry) were:
a) running a 'strip club' at night from my apartment, and
b) having 'illegal aliens' work in my basement
no wonder the town smells like sewage, it needs an enema.
somewhere near you, OH
Posted 12:57 AM, 11/10/2009
Sounds like the plot from the movie Walking Tall.
akron, oh
Posted 01:54 AM, 11/10/2009
I think all police cameras should run all the time and track the police cars with gps and lets see what they are doing
Posted 06:03 AM, 11/10/2009
. . .and take away personal cell phones while on duty. If they are needed by family dispatch can always get them.
Akron, oh
Posted 08:10 AM, 11/10/2009
Possible another Mayor gone wild????? Who knows? Wait the Mayor asked the Sheriff's to investigate, they did and what... oh yeah the Mayor didn't like their resualt. So, will make up my own crazy rules.
akron , oh
Posted 10:24 AM, 11/10/2009
gosh imagine what that city council would do to our mayor if all his " indiscretions" were brought to a hearing. chuckle.
Posted 12:14 PM, 11/10/2009
Another Don is born...He had his door removed..How childish..
Canal Fulton, Oh
Posted 08:03 PM, 11/10/2009
This story dont look good on the Mayors part,but on a lighter note,is this the same Phil thats going to be on The Cash Explosion show in December? Just wondering.
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 11:00 PM, 11/10/2009
Thats funny the in car cameras are only supposed to be activated when the overheads on. Sounds like the Mayor and his three stooges, Barney, fat albert and pee wee herman were trying to set him. You clowns no who you are and I don't know how you look at yourself in the mirror and call yourselves men. You sold your soul to the devil for your self gain. You clowns wouldn't survive a day in a REAL police department were the cheif would actually be able to disipline you clowns.
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 11:06 PM, 11/10/2009
On a side note. Barney Fife that stinky non bathing living with his momma over 40 year old punk probably hasn't bathed or brushed his busy mustache in a year. Barney you are not a man, not a police officer your a discrace to this uniform and an embarrasment to law enforcement. To bad your camera isnt on when your helping yourself in teh kitchen of the winking lizard and the bostmin mills ski resort or reaching over the counter pinching the waitresses at Reggies calling them your "sweeties". I have this this dirt bag first commit all the offenses. Not to mention in inappropriate touching of young female waitresses. That behavior is ok? Thats what the village wants from there officers. Your worried about a log sheet loog into what this clown does.
anytown, oh
Posted 07:39 AM, 11/11/2009
i was at the hearings. i heard the testimony. if this was a 6-0 decision council why were you in executive session yelling for over 3 days? should have been a five minute decision. its going to get real interesting when an official judge sees this. the chief didn't log going home to use the restroom, or to talk to a boston heights officer at Happy Days. um, last time i checked Happy Days was between the village and boston township. each time his log was wrong he was less than 1 mile from the village. hey mayor fisher, if you wanted to find out where the chief was he has a cell phone or why didn't you call dispatch. lastly, does any other chief in summit county have to keep a daily log? do they have a door on their office? judge teodosio please do the right thing and reinstate chief mccue.
anytown, oh
Posted 07:46 AM, 11/11/2009
the kicker was when mayor fisher told council that he needed the door off to access the chief's computer since it worked the rest of the computers. 1) mccue lives less than 1 mile away - call him to fix it 2) you are the mayor, ask him for a key 3) assign a key to an officer for the weekend and have them turn it in monday. but no, take his door off 1 day before he returned from medical leave. oh, and you forgot you told the sheriff's investigator a different reason. you kinda stumbled through that testimony. and sgt. renz had been secretly keeping notes on mccue's every move and giving them to the mayor. so someone in line for the chief's job keeping notes on the chief. nice move sgt. you got tripped up on that too and tried to lie. this was a kangaroo court.
Akron, Oh
Posted 09:01 AM, 11/11/2009
Attn: Mr. Phil Trexler or any other interested reporter, I would be happy to provide you my wildly ridiculous but true story - facts, backed up in writing, and by my attorney. I just haven't had time to solicit my own expose as I own an international manufacturing and distribution company and have to decide what activities actually generate revenue as opposed to hate.
From me, Shelli Styles, again...also wanted to make sure to tell you that I wasn't the "stripper" he was allegedly caught with in the cementary. LOL HAHA
feel free to reach me at shelli@strappity.com or 440-550-9071 ext 1
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 10:36 AM, 11/11/2009
Investigate Barney Fife aka "ya Know" max eddy. Then ask Fat Albert and Pee Wee Herman if they have witnessed Barney harras the young women and TOUCH them in uniform on duty IS THAT ON IS LOG SHEET. Does MAX EDDY put on his log sheet that he helps himself to food and the winking lizard and boston mills ski resort IN UNIFORM ON DUTY. Does he log that. IF the Sgt who wants to be cheif and pee wee say that dont know about MAX eddies on duty behavior they are LIEING
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 10:38 AM, 11/11/2009
They have seen it, complained about it and noted that max eddy may some day get in trouble over the harrassement of the teenage girls. Max eddie leave the women along you are in your forties. If that was my daughter lower back you touched or if it was my daughter you pinched YOU WOULD BE UNDER INVESTIGATION.
Peninsuala villages open your eyes
righthere, oh
Posted 12:46 PM, 11/11/2009
Victorman - put down the computer, it's time to get your GED.
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 08:13 PM, 11/11/2009
Hey HONDA CBX. Hug a D*ck. You must be one of the clones. I am sorry I do not take the time nor or do I have patience to make sure that my grammar or sentence structure is such of writing a college term paper. This is a blog not a College English course you tool. I dont think the council man has his GED didn't he drop out in 6th grade or something. HONDACBX Are you a cop? Do you know anything about honesty, integrity and courage. I doubt It. I work for a police department that has over 1,000 officers. I deal with REAL crime gangs,murders, rapes, people that shoot at you. HONDACBX regardless of my education level, which I may add is much higher than a GED degree. However what is wrong with a GED. There plenty of hardworking folks out there with GED's or without that are probably twice than man you could ever wish to be.
Cleveland, Oh
Posted 08:21 PM, 11/11/2009
Bottom line is I ve been in Police work for over 20 years and this is one of the worst things I ve ever seen a fellow officer ....a excellent police officer have to go through. The law enforcement family is supposed to stick together because when we are on the streets in harms way we are all that one another has. And to see that these officers basically tried to frame another fellow officer for self promotion is just a sad day and should be ashamed to wear the badge. HONDACBX start an investigation into Barney, ALbert and Pee and see what that turns up. Until than why dont you grade my grammar, spelling, and sentence structure and let me know what corrections need to me mad. Semper Fi
kjh*ak$jd#fa8!!, OH
Posted 03:34 AM, 11/12/2009
I sense a bit of tension here...
anytown, oh
Posted 08:27 AM, 11/13/2009
@victorman i feel your tension. when something happens that is wrong it makes you mad. i can't wait until the transcript of this kangaroo trial is put in front of a real judge in a real court. certain people LIED under oath. perjury!!! and you should have seen leland cole. um, the village better pray you aren't the one litigating in summit county court.
this village is corrupt and this railroading of mccue is just the start. hey doug anderson, you still live in the village since you got kicked out of your house by your wife? the mayor got deb shankland removed for "not living" in the village. but you, heck no thats OK cause you are the mayor's buddy.
