An internal investigation is underway after three off-duty Washington Court House police officers were involved in a fight.
The Guardian has exclusively obtained a police report from the Washington Court House Police Department where four on-duty officers raced to the house of off-duty police Sergeant Derek Pfeifer on June 22 with lights-and-sirens.
The report — written by on-duty Washington Court House Police sergeant, David Page — says that Pfeifer and fellow off-duty officer Logan George were involved in an “altercation” after a third off-duty officer, Ricky Musser, was riding in a car with two young women.
The breakdown of what happened is convoluted and messy because so many people are involved, but the report outlines the basics.
Page wrote in his report that Musser was in the car with the women and drove by George’s house. Musser told on-duty officers that the two women yelled “obscenities” at George as they passed by, which caused George to follow them.
The car with the women and Musser pulled down the street on Waverly Avenue into Derek Pfeifer’s driveway, according to the police report. Moments later, the report says that Pfeifer pulled up and saw George in the driveway questioning the women on why they had yelled at him. Pfeifer demanded that George leave Pfeifer’s house, and that is when things started to take a turn.
“[Pfeifer and George] began to exchange words,” Sergeant Page wrote in his report. “[Pfeifer and George] got up in each other’s faces.”
No punches were thrown, Page said, but Pfeifer and George had to be physically separated by Musser and someone else.
Pfeifer was demanding to on-duty officers that George be charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, according to the report, but Page said he told both men “that was not going to happen this evening and that the incident was over.”
Page said that Pfeifer continued to argue with the on-duty supervisor demanding that a report be taken for charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing, but Page continued to insist that was not going to happen. Instead, Page documented the incident through an “A&I” report, which is something below an actual police report, but still is a documentation of the incident. “A&I” reports are kept for documentation purposes of calls officers go on, but usually do not result in charges.
All three officers were back on duty at their next regular scheduled shifts. Police Chief Brian Hottinger was on vacation for two weeks when the fight happened, but was briefed on the situation upon his return last week. Hottinger said that the incident was under an internal investigation.
“The incident is under review with an internal investigation which is ongoing and discipline may arise from it,” Hottinger said. “However, I will not comment any further, it is only fair to those involved that a complete, fair, and impartial review be completed and refrain from any assumptions.”
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A public records request for the dash-cam and body-cam video of the call is still pending because Hottinger said that he needs more time to compile the numerous clips.
George and Musser were both hired by the police department in 2016 as patrolmen. Pfeifer was hired in 2007 and promoted to Sergeant just a couple months ago.
A voicemail seeking comment by the Guardian was left with the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio union that represents the officers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2013, the author of this article, Derek Myers, filed for a restraining order against then-officer Derek Pfeifer after Myers accused the officer of harassing and stalking him. The Guardian feels it is only ethical and transparent to share this editor’s note. Pfeifer had also been accused of posting on social media racist, homophobic, and xenophobic comments. Myers sought criminal charges against the police officer, but the Attorney General’s office declined to prosecute. As a result of Myers’ concerns and an internal investigation, Pfeifer was suspended from the police department for thirty days.
How is it that a report was filed in 2013 when the incident did happen until June 22, 2019? Am I reading this article right?
The author, Derek Myers, had an issue with one of the policemen in 2013 and it is not directly related to the story, only to note that Pfeifer has a blemished record.
i’m happy to see these youngsters are trying to learn what tresspassing is they did’nt know before .Don’t you love watching them grow up