Avon police officer fired

An Avon police officer was fired June 15 after an internal investigation into an April 6 incident at Jack Cleveland Casino, according to police documents obtained by The Morning Journal.

Cline, 30, is accused of being drunk and disorderly, assaulting and spitting on a security manager and attempting to look up the skirt of a waitress, the documents indicate.

He was arrested by Cleveland police and is facing misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct intoxication and assault in Cleveland Municipal Court.

Cline has pleaded not guilty to the charges and a pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6.

The Avon Police Department placed Cline on paid administrative leave April 7 pending an investigation into the incident.

In a June 15 letter signed by Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen and police Chief Richard Bosley, Cline officially was terminated as an Avon patrol officer.

The letter noted that while in the custody of the Cleveland Division of Police, Cline was uncooperative and had to be handcuffed to a bench with a spit hood placed over his head.

In addition, Cline provided Cleveland police with the address of the Avon Police Department as his home address, and repeatedly mentioned his position as an Avon police officer, according to the letter.

The letter continued that Cline berated state gaming agents and uniformed Cleveland police officers calling them “wannabees” and claiming they were “just trying to get stats.”

“The above actions are completely unacceptable, offensive to the public, violated both city and departmental 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 said.

Cleveland police arrested Cline at 10:15 p.m. following a call from a casino employee.

According to a Cleveland police report, when Cline was confronted with the allegations of attempting to look up the skirt of the employee, he grabbed a cup of beer and began drinking it and spit on the security guard.

When the security guard escorted Cline to the elevators, he “sucker punched him,” and was then placed under arrest, the report said.

Surveillance footage of the incident showed Cline throwing multiple punches before the officer was able to subdue him, the report said.

According to an internal investigation led by Avon police Lt. Keith Haag, the security officer who was assaulted by Cline suffered contusions to the head, eye and cheek and suffered multiple scratches and abrasions on his face and neck. The victim declined treatment.

In an April 23 investigative interview with Avon authorities,

Cline told Haag he made his way to downtown Cleveland at 2 p.m., April 6, to meet friends.

Cline had a limited recollection of the incident and recalled nothing from the casino other than being choked and being inside of an elevator, according to the interview.

He continued stating he had no recollection of anyone he interacted with or any other details of the evening, according to the interview.

Cline estimated he consumed around 20 alcoholic beverages over the course of the afternoon and evening.

When asked if he took responsibility for the incident, he did not and cited his lapse in memory, according to the interview.

But he reiterated it was an isolated incident that “is a blemish to his reputation as a police officer.”

“As of right now, I do not (take responsibility) because I don’t recall the incident other than the news media,” Cline said during the interview. “That’s really where I got the majority of my information.

“I’m not denying any of the allegations, but I think allegations are what they are at this point.”