Butler resigns as Crestline police chief

CRESTLINE - Joseph Butler resigned Monday morning as Crestline police chief.

Butler issued a letter with the announcement.

"I would like to thank the citizens of the village of Crestline for allowing me to serve them, without issue, for almost two decades," Butler wrote. "It has been the honor of my life to represent the Crestline village law enforcement community.

"However, in light of the current state of the village administration and its treatment of me as chief of police, I feel compelled to resign in order to at least try to maintain the honor and dignity of my position and that of the good people of the village of Crestline."

Crestline Village Council was scheduled to meet Monday night. Members had been expected to fire Butler, who had been on paid leave since Aug. 30.

A recent nine-page letter from the city to Butler, obtained through a public records request, outlined numerous "disciplinary causes of action."

"The list of charges below constitutes incompetency, inefficiency, dishonesty, neglect of duty, insubordination, failure of good behavior and other acts of misfeasance, malfeaseance and non-feasance in the performance of the marshal's (chief's) official duties," the letter said.

Butler's honesty was brought into question in the letter, which claimed he "lied to the mayor and village solicitor" on several occasions.

The letter claims Butler failed to place a Crestline police officer on the regional METRICH Enforcement Unit, kept the newest department cruiser for his own personal use and failed to place shotguns in all cruisers at the mayor's request.

Also, the letter accused Butler of removing several items from the police department, including the personnel files of several former and current officers and dispatchers.

According to other allegations in the letter, Butler did not have a proper training regimen for new hires, kept an arsenal of automatic weapons not readily available for officers, stored fully automatic weapons in a detached garage at his home, stored evidence in an unsecured location and improperly used his body camera and other recording devices.

Butler secretly recorded former Crestline Mayor Allen Moore using the "n" word four times, leading to Moore's resignation in what has been several months of controversy for the village.

Attorney Adam Stone, counsel for Butler, issued a news release Monday morning in which he stood up for the former chief.

"After nearly two decades with the village of Crestline during which his personnel file was without blemish, Chief Butler felt that the village administration had put him in the sad and unfortunate position that he must involuntarily resign effective immediately in an attempt to salvage the dignity and respect of his position and village's police department," Stone wrote.

"Prior to hiring the Stone Law Firm, Chief Butler found his work environment to be so hostile that he filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging, specifically, Title VII retaliation from former Crestline Mayor Allen Moore.

"It was Chief Butler that brought Mayor Moore's racist and prejudiced comments to the public light after his body camera picked up the former mayor using the 'n' word multiple times in a conversation. From that point forward, Chief Butler — for the first time in his career — has become the subject of sudden, inexplicable and retaliatory attempts at disciplinary action ultimately aimed at his termination.

"Instead of putting his family and the village of Crestline through further turmoil and controversy, Chief Butler feels strongly that his involuntary resignation is the right thing to do."

Stone's release included further comments from Butler.

"I am hurt that I am in this position today. I wanted to spend my career here with the people of Crestline. They have been good to me, and I have tried to serve them honorably," he wrote. "Sadly, my attempts to do the right thing as it pertains to Mayor Moore's inappropriate statements have made me the target of unwarranted scrutiny.

"The village simply does not need any further controversy. My family and I do not need this controversy. Thank you to the people of Crestline for allowing me to serve you for the past 18 years. It has been the honor of my life to work for you." 

In September, council appointed Jeff Shook as interim chief. Shook is the New Washington police chief.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

Twitter: @MNJCaudill