...Rocky River Prosecutor Michael O’Shea told [Visiting Judge Mary Grace] Trimboli, “we don’t want to lock Mr. Nyerges up”... Nyerges was also charged with domestic violence; however, that charge was dropped... (See comments section for excerpts from older news)
Police officer sentenced to probation, ordered to pay fines
Westlake West Life, OH
By Ben Saylor
Nov. 21, 2007
Bay Village Police Sgt. Warren Nyerges was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $175 in fines last Friday for drug abuse and harboring a dangerous animal. The dangerous animal charge stemmed from a June 6 INCIDENT WHEN ROCKY RIVER POLICE RESPONDED TO AN INCIDENT DURING WHICH NYERGES ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO KILL HIMSELF, his wife and her dog. Police found a five-foot alligator in Nyerges’ garage. A subsequent search of Nyerges’ home led to the discovery of tablets that tests revealed to be Oxymetholone, a steroid commonly referred to as anadrol that is used by athletes and bodybuilders to gain body mass... The sentence was handed down last Friday morning from Visiting Judge Mary Grace Trimboli. Rocky River Municipal Court Judges Maureen Adler Gravens and Donna Congeni Fitzsimmons both recused themselves from the case due to their past work with Nyerges in law enforcement and community matters... One concern brought up during the sentencing hearing was the [FORTY] firearms confiscated from Nyerges’ home. Seewald informed the court that an arrangement has been made for the guns to be transferred into the custody of a third party. The firearms will then be sold at gun shows. ROCKY RIVER PROSECUTOR MICHAEL O’SHEA TOLD TRIMBOLI, “WE DON’T WANT TO LOCK MR. NYERGES UP.” O’SHEA ADDED, “I JUST WANT MR. NYERGES TO BE CLEAR THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO TOLERATE ANY MORE OF THIS BIZARRE BEHAVIOR, AND IF WE DO, WE’LL BE BACK HERE.” The probation period prohibits Nyerges from accessing firearms, orders him to undergo a full substance abuse assessment and follow all recommendations from it, inform the court of any change of address, abstain from all drug and alcohol abuse and also be subject random drug screenings, Trimboli said. Should Nyerges violate any of these conditions, he will be ordered to serve 60 days in jail, the maximum sentence allowed for the drug abuse charge. He was fined $100 for the drug abuse charge and $75 for the dangerous animal charge. O’Shea said the sentence “was exactly what we wanted to have happen”... Seewald said of the sentence, “I’m happy with the resolution…I think they did the right thing.” Nyerges was also charged with domestic violence; however, that charge was dropped. He is currently using up his accumulated vacation and sick days. Once they have been used up, Seewald said, “I believe that we have worked out an accomodation with Bay Village that will allow my client to receive what remains of his benefits, and then he will sever his relationship with the Bay Village Police Department.” Nyerges is currently awaiting word on whether he will receive disability benefits from the Ohio Police and Firemen’s Pension Fund.
Article excerpts from older articles that are in comments section below:
...Nyerges' wife reported that he threatened to kill her, her dogs and himself... Nyerges was released from the hospital after being found stable and to not pose a risk to himself or others... They also said they found and confiscated more than 40 guns and knives along with ammunition... City officials acknowledged there have been some problems with Nyerges over the last two years... "We've been watching him," said Mayor Debbie Sutherland. "There's been several incidents which caused us concern involving the officer." Police Chief David Wright, who has headed the department for nearly 12 years, said the department has tried to do its duty and protect people while also trying to deal with and help Nyerges. "There appears to have been erratic behavior both in his professional and personal life"... Nyerges' personnel file showed that this is not the first time his behavior has been a concern. In 2006, his first wife, Barb Richards, came to the police station and told Lt. Slepecky that she feared for her safety and the safety of others because of Nyerges' actions... "He is having problems with his heart and is seeking the disability as a result"...
EXCERPTS FROM OLDER NEWS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE LINKS ARE STILL GOOD.
ReplyDeletePolice: Firearms, Alligator Confiscated From Officer's Home
Cleveland - NewsNet5 via Yahoo! News -
June 26, 2007
[Excerpts] A Bay Village police sergeant has been charged with domestic violence after police said he threatened to kill his wife, her dogs and himself. Warren Nyerges is also charged with possessing a prohibited animal after officers found a 4-foot alligator in his Hilliard Boulevard home. Police confiscated more than 40 firearms from the home after they were called there on June 6. Nyerges wife told police that her husband was dealing with mental and physical health problems...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/wews/20070626/lo_wews/13574874
Veteran police officer charged
West Life
By Jeff Gallatin
Bay Village
June 20, 2007
[Excerpts] ...Sgt. Warren Nyerges, a patrol shift supervisor and former DARE officer, is out on $2,500 bond... If convicted of domestic violence, he would be prohibited from carrying a gun and unable to continue as a police officer... City officials acknowledged there have been some problems with Nyerges over the last two years but said they were limited in what they could discuss... “We’ve been watching him,” said Mayor Debbie Sutherland. “There’s been several incidents which caused us concern involving the officer.” Police Chief David Wright, who has headed the department for nearly 12 years, said the department has tried to do its duty and protect people while also trying to deal with and help Nyerges. “There appears to have been erratic behavior both in his professional and personal life,” Wright said. “Our first responsibility is to protect citizens and the public out in the community. Then we have a responsibility to the people someone works with both in the department and the city and we also have one to try and help the person himself when there appears to be a problem. We have tried to address this with the officer”... In the Rocky River charges, department records indicate they were called to the home at 9:06 p.m. June 6... When officers arrived, they met Nyerges’ distraught wife outside saying he was threatening bodily harm to himself, her and her dogs after the couple had argued. The officials said Nyerges was found inside, where he appeared upset and talked with officers about his health problems but did not pose any physical threat to them. Officials said after talking he eventually agreed to go to Lakewood Hospital. Officials said while checking the house, they found the alligator in a pet cage in the garage. They also said they found and confiscated more than 40 guns and knives along with ammunition...
http://www.westlifenews.com/2007/06-20/bvofficer.html
Officer to face charges
cleveland.com
Thursday, July 05, 2007
By Carolyn Steigman
[Excerpts] ...Keys to Bay High School that had been missing were found on Nyerges' property. Nyerges said he didn't know how they got there. A journal entry from Rocky River Municipal Court stated that, based on a report from a mental health liaison, Nyerges was released from the hospital after being found stable and to not pose a risk to himself or others. As conditions of his bail, the court required Nyerges to submit a drug test for steroid use, not to take steroids unless prescribed, to take only prescribed medications, continue current medical treatments, not to enter Bay Village, to have no contact with Bay Village employees, including police officers (with the exception of his friend Mickey Banasiak, an auxiliary policeman) and to waive any ownership of the alligator... A LETTER WAS SENT TO THE OHIO SUPREME COURT TO HAVE THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE REASSIGNED TO ANOTHER JUDGE AFTER ROCKY RIVER MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES DONNA CONGENI FITZSIMMONS AND MAUREEN ADLER GRAVENS RECUSED THEMSELVES AS BOTH HAVE WORKED WITH NYERGES ON DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PROJECTS. ANOTHER JUDGE HAS NOT YET BEEN ASSIGNED... Nyerges' personnel file showed that this is not the first time his behavior has been a concern. In 2006, his first wife, Barb Richards, came to the police station and told Lt. Slepecky that she feared for her safety and the safety of others because of Nyerges' actions. She also said that he had keys to all city offices. The couple later divorced and no charges where brought. When he began seeing Maureen Welsh, her father, Mike Walsh, went to police and complained that his daughter had come into possession of handguns and that Nyerges was enabling her drug use. In October 2006, an elderly woman called to complain that Nyerges had intimidated her at her retirement home because he was angry that she had called police about where his car was parked. It was June or July 2006 when Police Chief David Wright learned about Nyerges' possession of the alligator and he was told to remove it by Nov. 10, 2006. No criminal charges ever stemmed from the incidents. As a police sergeant, Nyerges was to submit the department's annual report, but Nyerges didn't submit one... Nyerges was given an opportunity to voluntarily return to the rank of patrol officer and advised to respond with a letter to the chief by the beginning of the year. The letter was not received.... "We are negotiating his departure," Mayor Deborah Sutherland said of Nyerges. "I do not think he'll be coming back. We want to be as sensitive to our employees as we can but realize the police department and officers have to be well (emotionally) grounded."
http://www.cleveland.com/westshoresun/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/118352235688990.xml&coll=4
Nyerges seeks medical disability
West Life Newspaper
By Jeff Gallatin
Bay Village
Aug. 8, 2007
[Excerpts] Twenty-year veteran Bay Village Police Sgt. Warren Nyerges, who is facing charges in Rocky River of using illegal steroids, domestic violence and having a dangerous animal, has applied to the state for a medical disability, officials said.... “He is having problems with his heart and is seeking the disability as a result”... Both the city and Nyerges’ defense attorneys are awaiting the assignment of a visiting judge to Nyerges’ case which will be heard in Rocky River Municipal court. Both Rocky River municipal judges, Donna Congeni Fitzsimmons and Maureen Gravens have recused themselves from the case, citing their work with Nyerges in law enforcement and community events. Bay Village is one of five cities whose cases are filed in Rocky River Municipal Court. Rocky River police officials said the move has no bearing on their case against Nyerges and that the charges remain whatever the state decides...
http://www.westlifenews.com/2007/08-08/disability.html