Circleville Council votes to part ways with police chief and deputy chief

Circleville City Council has approved "separation agreements" for the city's police chief and deputy chief, agreeing to pay them $70,000 and $69,000, respectively, an end to potentially costly investigations against both men. It's a move that critics say is not addressing core problems within the department.

Chief Shawn Baer was suspended March 11 for alleged misconduct, including "harassment, intimidation, retaliation, threats of discipline, misuse of position, improper expenditures, failure to adhere to deadlines and timekeeping violations," according to Circleville Mayor Michelle Blanton.

Two weeks later, Blanton suspended Deputy Chief Doug Davis after she said that Davis had assaulted her during a meeting in which the two had discussed the March 7 hiring of Steve Wilkinson as safety director. Blanton would eventually fire Wilkinson after less than a week on the job for reasons she hasn't explained.

Council voted 6-1 on Wednesday to accept the resignations and separation agreements for both former police department leaders. Baer will receive a $70,000 payout plus accrued vacation, time off and his pension. Davis will be paid $69,000 plus similar benefits. Councilman Zachary Brooks voted against both measures, in one roll call casting his vote "absolutely not."

Both Baer and Davis will likely be reinstated this week, Brooks said, so that they can formally tender their resignations and activate their settlement agreements.

After the meeting, Brooks said "I'm disgusted that we just handed these guys $70,000 apiece and said, 'Shut up and see you later.' "

The settlement agreements also end any possible civil litigation by or against Baer and Davis.

Brooks said he is hopeful that new police leaders will be found, preferably from outside Circleville, "to rebuild our police department and to clean things up."

The city already has paid $50,000 to law firms for investigations into the allegations that led the mayor to suspend the two, Brooks said. It was not immediately clear if Wednesday's actions would now end those investigations or others begun by state or federal officials.

There was no public discussion following the hourlong meeting. Sgt. Kenny Fisher has been acting police chief since the suspensions, though it is likewise unclear if that will become permanent.

The personnel actions Wednesday are the latest turmoil in Circleville over its police department. On July 4, a Circleville police dog was allowed to attack an unarmed truck driver who had surrendered with his hands up after leading Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers and police on a chase before stopping.

The incident became national news, and Chief Baer eventually fired Officer Ryan Speakman, the K9 handler, not for the incident, but for complaining to others, including family members, about his stress and being placed on administrative leave.

Documents reveal how discussion became assault allegation

Newly obtained documents of an alleged assault by Deputy Chief Davis against Mayor Blanton provide conflicting accounts.

The March 14 meeting between Blanton, Davis and Valerie Dilley, the city's human resources director, was to discuss the hiring of Wilkinson, a reserve officer who was appointed to safety director to clean up problems in the police department.

It ended with Blanton leaving a meeting room in tears, running into the street in front of City Hall, and having an ambulance called for her.

In a statement written to Dilley four days later, Blanton said that Davis called her "deceiving" and "a liar," apparently referring to the mayor's decision to hire Wilkinson and secretly swear him in, along with Davis' concerns shared by other officers that Wilkinson was targeting them.

"At this point I was emotional and crying," Blanton wrote. "He (Davis) said that he didn't mean to make me upset but ... at this point I was sobbing, having trouble breathing and couldn't catch my breath."

Blanton said that both Dilley and Davis tried to console and calm her.

Blanton said she walked to her office and, after two or three minutes, left the building and toward Court Street in front of the Circleville City Hall.

That's when Blanton said Davis "grabbed ahold of me by the shoulders and told me I wasn't able to drive."

"I told him to get off me and continued across the street." Moments later, an ambulance and police officers responded. Blanton refused treatment.

"I don't know what the solution is, but no one in the city should be made to feel the way I felt after this interaction," Blanton wrote.

Blanton confirmed the assault at an April 2 City Council meeting, describing it as "bodily contact," and that Davis was being investigated.

Davis, in a written statement two days after the incident, states that he was "afraid" of Wilkinson, the newly appointed safety director, as were other officers. Wilkinson was fired late last month after less than a week on the job.

"I was very concerned with the safety of myself and the department that I have been given authority over," Davis wrote.

Davis said that Blanton asked him to trust her, and that he informed her that he couldn't due to the lies and deception felt by him and his officers.

When she began to cry, "I was unsure if she was going to get into her vehicle so I attempted to stop her by putting my hand on her shoulder," Davis wrote.

When Blanton objected, Davis said he let go. He said he then called for emergency response "due to her erratic behavior."

Davis said he now worries about retaliation from Blanton. "How can I be protected and who is going to protect me?" he wrote. "My work environment is hostile and now my home environment is hostile."

Similar problems ignored

Former Councilwoman Caryn Koch-Eslerline said her frequent questions about the city's policing were ignored in 2022 and 2023, leading her to wonder why. She said she was not given records she requested.

"From my last two years of experience, and one who asked too many questions, they're not going to tell him (Brooks) anything," she said.

Koch-Eslerline said the city secretly spent $18,000 to have Pradco, a management consultant with offices in Worthington, conduct a study of the police department in 2022.

She said the city auditor had no idea the money had been spent until she gave him details.

The report detailed numerous complaints by officers, favoritism and cliques within the ranks and inconsistent and retaliatory leadership, she said.

When her council term ended, she said "I felt like I was completely undermined."

As Council's lone 'no' vote, Brooks said he'll continue to seek leadership reforms.

"Whether it lasts very long is the true question," he said.

dnarciso@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Circleville Council parts ways with police chief, deputy chief