Avon police officer fired following off-duty arrest at Jack Cleveland Casino
AVON, Ohio July 17 2018 – The city of Avon fired a police officer who is accused of looking up a waitress’ skirt and punching a Jack Cleveland Casino security guard during an incident that happened while he was off-duty.
Officer James Cline was fired Sunday for violating Avon Police Department policies and procedures during an April 6 incident at the casino, city officials said in a disciplinary letter.
Avon Mayor Bryan K. Jensen and police Chief Richard A. Bosley said in the letter that Cline’s actions constituted malfeasance, or other failure of good behavior.
During the incident, Cline identified himself as an Avon police officer and used the Avon Police Department’s address as his home address, the disciplinary letter says.
“The above actions are completely unacceptable, offensive to the public, violated both city and department policy, and brought embarrassment and discredit to you as an officer, to the Avon Department of Police, and to the city of Avon,” the letter says.
Cline was required to turn in his department-issued equipment, identification and keys by 4:30 p.m. Sunday, the letter says.
Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association attorney Aikaterini Houston, who is representing Cline on behalf of the union, said she has appealed the firing to Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen.
Houston said they are awaiting the mayor’s decision on whether or not he will uphold the firing. If he doesn’t, Houston said they would appeal the decision to an arbitrator.
Cline, 30, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and drunken disorderly conduct related to the casino incident, according to court records.
He is scheduled to appear Aug. 6 at a pretrial hearing in Cleveland Municipal Court.
Cline’s defense attorney in the case, Henry Hilow, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday morning.
Cline had been on paid administrative leave from the Avon Police Department since his arrest.
He appeared at a pre-disciplinary conference May 22, and a report was issued June 11, the disciplinary letter says. Jensen and Bosley informed Cline of his firing in the disciplinary letter, which is dated Sunday.
Cline appeared to be drunk when a Jack Cleveland Casino security guard saw him bend down to look up a waitress’ skirt about 10:30 p.m. April 6, according to police reports.
The security guard told Cline he was being kicked out of the casino, and Cline spit beer into guard’s mouth, police reports say.
The guard grabbed Cline and walked him to the elevators. Cline “violently, and apparently with no reason” attacked the security guard, and threw several punches at the guard, police reports say.
Another guard helped restrain Cline until an off-duty Cleveland police officer arrested him, police reports say.
The 27-year-old security guard suffered facial swelling from the punches but refused medical treatment at the scene, police reports say.
Cline was uncooperative while he was in custody at the Cleveland police department, according to his disciplinary letter. He had to be secured to a bench with a spit hood over his head, the letter says.
He also repeatedly referenced his job as an Avon police officer and berated state gaming agents and uniformed Cleveland police officers, calling them “wannabes” who were “just trying to get stats,” the letter says.
Cline, who was hired by Avon police in April 2017, had no prior disciplinary issues with the department, police said after his arrest.
Cleveland.com
