CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — More details are starting to come to light through public records requests that outline why Circleville’s deputy police chief is on paid leave. The leave comes after he was named the interim-police chief earlier this month when chief Shawn Baer was placed on leave for a host of allegations.
Deputy Chief Doug Davis was placed on leave on March 25. The reason behind his leave was only stated to “protect the integrity of the investigation.” Which “investigation” the dismisal paperwork was referencing was not disclosed. However, the Guardian has confirmed through public records that the deputy chief is accused of assaulting the town’s female mayor. This, of course, all comes less than two weeks after the original police chief was placed on leave, himself.
The attack
It all stems from a March 14 meeting that was closed to the public, where city council, the mayor, the law director, and the deputy chief were having discussions about the town’s law enforcement. During the meeting, Mayor Michelle Blanton busted through the closed door and ran outside into the middle of the street. She was crying and in distress, the town’s former safety director, Steve Wilkinson said. Wilkinson is a longtime retired Columbus police officer who was hired earlier this month as the city’s safety director “in secrecy” he said, and was fired less than a week later. Wilkinson told city council at a recent meeting that his hiring and firing was all part of an alleged coup and plan that Blanton had concocted to oust the town’s chief of police. Wilkinson said he was merely a pawn in the ploy; hired, and then disposed of after the dirty work.
An ambulance was called to downtown by Davis after the alleged-assault and checked out Blanton. In a 9-1-1 call obtained by the Guardian, the deputy chief is heard telling dispatchers to “start a medic” to the restaurant across the street from town hall and that he would “explain later.”
Davis was not criminally charged and the city’s police department did not take a report on the incident. He was placed on leave on March 25.
Four more officers relieved
Meanwhile, Baer remains on paid leave for allegations of harassment, intimidation, retaliation, threats of discipline, misuse of position, improper threats, failure to adhere to deadlines, and timekeeping violations. The State Auditor’s Office, along with the Ohio Peace Officers’ Training Commission (OPOTC) have opened investigations into the police department. OPOTC has relieved four officers of duty from the department, stripping them of their guns and badges for failing to keep up with annual training.
On Wednesday, Captain Kenny Fisher was sworn in as the acting-chief; the third one in less than a month.
