Police chief, officers sue Perkins Township…
Police chief, officers sue Perkins Township trustee
PUBLISHED: May 5, 2007 at 10:12 a.m. | UPDATED: July 16, 2021 at 12:21 p.m.
"I categorically deny it," Dwelle said last night. "It's going to be very, very interesting as we go down the road, all the information that comes out." Dwelle earlier had filed a legal action against the Rev. Thomas H. Fant Jr., who is chaplain of the Perkins Police Department. Dwelle's complaint claimed that at a September trustee meeting Fant made accusations of racism by Dwelle, an allegation Dwelle vehemently has denied. McClung and Matthews' lawsuit listed a litany of examples they argue were "acts of defamation" against them. "Almost immediately upon defendant William Dwelle's election, plaintiff McClung would be contacted by numerous citizens that defendant William Dwelle was indicating his intention to maliciously have plaintiff McClung fired from his position as police chief," the lawsuit said. Among the lawsuit's claims are that Dwelle: — In December 2005 "indicated to citizens that (McClung) and other persons were stealing and illegally shooting police ammunition and shooting a .50-caliber machine gun." — In January 2006 "without a good faith basis," questioned McClung "concerning the spending of police department funds and the location of $250,000 worth of police equipment." – Enlisted people to make "bogus and erroneous complaints against the police department" to "discredit, embarrass and destroy the reputation" of McClung. — Violated township policies and protocol and directly contacted news media about baseless accusations against McClung. — In March 2006 "indicated to citizens that plaintiff McClung was a liar, was not doing his job and he wanted him fired." — In July 2006 said McClung "had illegally started a fire and that the State Fire Marshal was going to arrest him. None of this was true." — In August 2006 accused McClung of tapping telephone lines at the Perkins Township Hall. — In October 2006 accused McClung of breaking into NASA Plum Brook Station and poaching deer using Perkins police equipment. — In December 2006 accused McClung of "illegal activities with regards to purchases from Ohio's Homeland Security office." — In January took "McClung's job evaluation home, had his wife defendant Sandy Dwelle type it, and generally treated plaintiff's evaluation differently than the other department heads of Perkins Township." "All of the statements complained of herein made by defendant William Dwelle indicate a pattern of the malicious injurious intent to destroy the credibility, reputation and character of plaintiff McClung both as police chief and as a person," the complaint said. In March, Perkins police responded to a report of a bank robbery and "Matthews was the third officer at the scene in performing his duties of securing the location, taking statements and preparing an account of what transpired," the complaint said. Dwelle "alleged and published that (Matthews) was not present at the scene of the bank robbery and in fact was in his office playing solitaire' on his computer," the complaint said. That statement was "absolutely false" and hurt Matthews' reputation as a police officer, the complaint said. Mrs. Dwelle also has "stalked and followed plaintiff Matthews at the direction of her husband defendant William Dwelle and/or the Township of Perkins," the complaint said. Matthews cited incidents from July 16, 2006, when Mrs. Dwelle allegedly sat in her car at the corner of Matthews' street for about 30 minutes, and on Sept. 20, 2006, when Mrs. Dwelle allegedly followed and took photographs of Matthews while he trained with the U.S. Marshal Service. The actions "were intentional, malicious, extreme, outrageous and shocks to conscience of our society, and constitute harassment," the complaint said.