Akron police officer Donald Schismenos, an 18-year veteran, has been placed on leave with pay pending the completion of an internal investigation, city officials say.
Schismenos was notified about the departmental action in an Aug. 3 letter from Chief James D. Nice.
The letter from the chief was released last week after a Beacon Journal public records request. It informed Schismenos that he is “prohibited from operating any city vehicle, carrying a firearm, working secondary employment or taking any police action whatsoever.”
City Law Director Cheri B. Cunningham and police Lt. Rick Edwards, the department’s spokesman, said Monday they cannot comment about the investigation while it is in progress.
Schismenos was suspended by Mayor Don Plusquellic because he allegedly went against a superior’s orders and filed felony charges against an Akron woman who filmed him making an arrest in June 2009.
Schismenos and his wife then filed a civil lawsuit in Summit County Common Pleas Court in January, seeking damages from the city, Plusquellic and the police department auditor, Philip Young, for defamation and infliction of emotional distress.
The suit contends that in announcing that suspension, the city released Schismenos’ home address to the media.
The suit seeks at least $25,000 in damages for Schismenos and his wife, Melissa.
Lawyers for Schismenos informed the court in June that they expect to begin taking depositions in the civil case in September or October.
Paul Hlynsky, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Akron Lodge 7, said Monday that he is in the dark about the department’s investigation of Schismenos. He said the only thing he does know is that Nice has brought in an outside agency, the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, to conduct the probe.
“We are anxiously waiting to find out what they are looking at,” Hlynsky said, “because we stand behind Don. Anybody can accuse anybody of anything in this day and age.”
He said what really bothers him is that the administration has “jumped the gun to bring in an outside agency that doesn’t understand the rules and procedures” of the police department.
Attorney Joseph F. Gorman, whose firm is representing Schismenos in the department’s investigation, said it would be inappropriate to comment while the probe while is in progress.
City records show that five days before Schismenos was placed on leave, he was transferred from his job as a detective in the department’s juvenile gang unit to the Safety Communications Center as a telephone report officer.
Police Capt. Elizabeth Daugherty, commander of the detective bureau, informed Schismenos of the transfer in a July 29 letter.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or at emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
