Jail officer suspended for releasing inmate was previously fired

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County officials disciplined two corrections officers last week for their roles in mistakenly releasing an inmate.

Officer Kathleen Belle received a three-day suspension and Sgt. Joe Kelly received a written warning.

Cuyahoga County spokeswoman said discipline is pending for a third officer, whom she did not name.

Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association attorney Adam Chaloupka did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Belle was previously fired for her role in an earlier incident in which a suspected burglar was mistakenly released in 2019. The county reversed her firing after the OPBA argued the firing was unfair.

Belle and Kelly received their punishment for the Oct. 19 release of Bernard Moore, who faces a charge of improperly handling a gun in his car, according to records released Friday by the county. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Disciplinary letters provide little detail of what led to the mistaken release. Both say Belle and Kelly started the process of releasing Moore without thoroughly reading his arrest report.

A third officer, Jacqueline Billups, also could face discipline for the release, but timing issues delayed her disciplinary hearing, officials said.

A second inmate was mistakenly released the same weekend.

Officials said an investigation is on-going into the mistaken release of a second inmate — David Barnes, who was accused of possessing a weapon with a felony record — two days after Moore’s release.

Barnes is scheduled for arraignment in his case on March 29.

The two mistaken releases are among 10 inmates since 2018 released by jail officials despite judge’s orders that they remain jailed.