Spiteful Police Dispatcher Former Twinsburg Dispatcher Charged for Malicious Call
A former Twinsburg police dispatcher was charged for making a spiteful phone call to a resident on June 6. Loretta Nash called a woman who had contacted police 183 times over 15 years, identified herself as Twinsburg Police, and after ensuring she had the caller’s full attention, said “Congratulations, you win the prize. You are the dumbest person” before hanging up.
The call terrified the recipient, who said her heart started racing when she saw “Twinsburg Police” on her caller ID. The police chief called that night to apologize for Nash’s actions. Nash was charged with telecommunications harassment and prohibited conduct, pleaded not guilty in Stow Municipal Court on July 10, and is free on bond with a trial set for September. Nash no longer works for Twinsburg Police Department. Mayor Sam Scaffidi released a statement saying the city takes such matters very seriously.
Criminal Tracking Scheme New Criminal Method Targets Northeast Ohio Residents
Kirtland Police warned the public on July 15 about a new criminal scheme where suspects place a phone with a magnet on the roof of victims’ cars, then track and follow them home. Officer Joseph Gibson reported the incident after his sister became a victim. The criminals start by putting a phone on the roof of your car with a magnet attached to the vehicle, then track and follow you home. Gibson said the victim never had a chance to see the phone being placed on top of the roof, sliding down the windshield and lodging onto the car, creating a tracking device on the vehicle.
Zombie Hunter Arrest East Liverpool Police Arrest Man with Apocalyptic Weapons
Police arrested 22-year-old Dillon Lockhart, known locally as a “zombie hunter,” after finding him at the abandoned Riverview Florist property carrying a large knife. Officers responded to reports of a strange person hanging around the area. A search of his car revealed a loaded gun with multiple magazines of ammunition, various knives, several crossbows and arrows, modified baseball bats and “other odd weapons and accessories.” Lockhart was charged with criminal trespassing and improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Police say Lockhart has been known to travel around the area dressed as a “zombie hunter.”
Put-in-Bay Crowd Control Multiple SWAT Teams Called for Ferry Terminal Chaos
SWAT teams from multiple law enforcement agencies in northern Ohio were called to Put-in-Bay to assist with breaking up fights among a crowd of about 19,000 people on Saturday. Ottawa County Sheriff Stephen Levorchick said his office was contacted by Put-in-Bay Police Chief James Kimble around 7 p.m. to help with a large crowd of people who were becoming “unruly.”
Levorchick was told there were “fights everywhere” and security at a downtown ferry terminal was close to losing control of the dock. The sheriff requested that his office assemble the county’s SWAT team and also requested Erie County and Sandusky County sheriff’s offices to send their special response teams to assist. SWAT members broke up six to 10 fights and dispersed the crowd in the DeRivera Park area. By the time it was all done, two people were arrested but the arrests were not related to the fights – one involved a domestic situation and another a disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on the ferry.
Columbus Officer’s YouTube Channel Officer Fired for Posting Body Cam Footage Online
Columbus police officer Spencer Badger was fired for repeatedly downloading law enforcement materials to a personal device and posting official body camera footage on his YouTube channels. Public Safety Director Kate Pishotti upheld Police Chief Elaine Bryant’s recommendation to terminate Badger following a disciplinary hearing on March 3. Pishotti said Badger admitted to “improperly and repeatedly downloading law enforcement materials to a personal device” and that his actions violated both the law and Columbus Division of Police policy, calling it “critical misconduct.”
Badger ran the Columbus Police Body Camera YouTube Channel, which remains active despite his termination. The channel currently includes a disclaimer stating the videos were “obtained through Public Records Requests” and that “the channel is not run by the Columbus Division of Police or the City of Columbus.” The channel made heavy use of police body camera footage showing traffic stops, police shootings and other incidents where Columbus-area police responded. Badger was hired by the department in 2011.
The Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9 announced plans to take the case to arbitration, with Union President Brian Steel acknowledging that Badger’s actions violated policy but calling the termination “excessive punishment,” saying his efforts to bring an inside view of policing to the community had been widely recognized across the country.
Whitehall ATM Theft Man Steals $262,000 During Cash Drop
Whitehall police arrested a man accused of stealing $262,000 from an ATM. He allegedly grabbed a bag of cash during a cash drop off by ATM Solutions at a US Bank branch. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Father-Son Police Shooting Tragedy Father Kills Deputy After Son’s Death
The father of an 18-year-old who was fatally shot by police during an alleged stolen vehicle incident in Cincinnati was charged with hitting a deputy with his car and killing him. Rodney L. Hinton, 38, is accused of intentionally hitting Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Henderson on May 2 after viewing body camera footage of his son Ryan’s death by police the day before.
Ryan Hinton, 18, was killed May 1 by a Cincinnati police officer responding to a report of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex. The vehicle was allegedly stolen from northern Kentucky that morning. Four people in the alleged stolen car ran in different directions after police approached them. Two officers pursued Ryan Hinton and another person. Police said Ryan Hinton was armed and pointed a semi-automatic handgun at an officer. The officer fired at least four times, with Ryan believed to have been hit by two bullets, one in the chest and one in the arm. The entire incident lasted six seconds.
After the family met with Cincinnati Police to watch body camera footage on May 2, the distraught father left in his own car. Deputy Henderson, who had recently retired and was working as a special deputy directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati during graduation events, was intentionally struck by Hinton’s vehicle at Martin Luther King Drive and Burnet Woods Drive around 1 p.m. Henderson died at University of Cincinnati Medical Center from his injuries.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said there was a definite connection between the collision and the police shooting. Hinton was charged with aggravated murder and held without bond. More than 30 members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office filled the courtroom during his Saturday appearance. The deputy was described as well-liked and well-known throughout law enforcement. Hinton has since filed a federal civil lawsuit seeking $25 million, alleging he was physically assaulted after being taken into custody.
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