[OH] Police Chief Osiecki's armed standoff after he read the news

...[Medina County Sheriff Neil] Hassinger says earlier in the day, several officers had gone to [Brunswick Hills Police Chief Robert] Osiecki's home to reassure him after an article appeared in a local newspaper Thursday. The article stated that next week he would be disciplined or fired for an October incident in which he allegedly was intoxicated and pointed a gun at a relative inside his home... Area police chiefs who know Chief Osiecki were on scene to help with negotiations... Osiecki also made several demands, although the sheriff wouldn't reveal what they were... Brunswick Hills Township Police Chief Robert Osiecki is charged with handling a weapon while intoxicated and aggravated menacing following a standoff with police and SWAT teams Thursday afternoon... In 1998, Osiecki and his wife, Doreen, were charged with disorderly conduct after a fight outside a local fast-food restaurant... [How that case was resolved is not mentioned.] ..."We are very concerned for him and his family and hope he gets the help he needs," [Trustee Christina] Kusnerak said...

News pieces and parts from november 4th through the 27th:

BRUNSWICK HILLS POLICE CHIEF SUSPENDED FROM DUTY
The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com, OH
Melissa Martin
November 04, 2008 08:34AM
BRUNSWICK HILLS -- Township trustees suspended Robert Osiecki from his duties as township police chief last week pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
Trustee Christina Kusnerak said the township's board of trustees met in executive session Friday and voted to suspend Osiecki from his position with pay until that investigation is complete. The board reconvened Monday morning for a second executive session at the Medina County prosecutor's office to discuss "employee disciplinary matters." Kusnerak declined to comment on the outcome of that meeting. [LINK]


CHIEF MAY BE DISCIPLINED OR FIRED
The Medina County Gazette
By Lisa Hlavinka lhlavinka@ohio.net
November 20th, 2008
[Excerpts] Township trustees have set a hearing for 10 a.m. Wednesday for the possible discipline or termination of Police Chief Robert Osiecki... Details are scant, but the board of trustees laid out the charges in a resolution as follows:
-- On or about October 29, 2008, at your home you became intoxicated and were involved in altercation(s) with member(s) of your family.
-- On or about October 29, 2008, while intoxicated you handled a loaded firearm.
-- On or about October 29, 2008, you introduced a loaded firearm to a volatile and dangerous situation while you were intoxicated during an altercation with your family member(s).
-- On or about October 29, 2008, while intoxicated and after you introduced a weapon into a dangerous and volatile situation you threatened to kill yourself.
-- On or about October 29, 2008, after you introduced a loaded firearm to a volatile and dangerous situation you became involved in a further physical altercation with a family member... Township police did not have a report on the incident... [Full article here]

POLICE SWARM EMBATTLED BRUNSWICK HILLS CHIEF'S NEIGHBORHOOD
Plain Dealer
Posted by Patrick O'Donnell
November 20, 2008 14:47PM
[Excerpts]The street where embattled Police Chief Robert Osiecki lives is closed and police, including officers in camouflage and carrying heavy weapons, are stationed around his house... A mobile command unit and heavy-duty police vehicles were set up on Lone Tree Court, near Substation Road. [Full article here]

BRUNSWICK HILLS: POLICE CHIEF'S HOME SURROUNDED; SCHOOL BUS ROUTES IMPACTED
Title updated to: BRUNSWICK HILLS: CHIEF LEAVES PEACEFULLY FROM HIS HOME
WKYC-TV, OH
Nov 20, 2008
[Excerpts] ...The domestic violence charge stems from an incident in October where Osiecki is accused of reportedly pulling a gun on a family member... [Full article here]

MEDINA SHERIFF UPDATES SWAT STANDOFF WITH CHIEF
Plain Dealer
Posted by Patrick O'Donnell
November 20, 2008 16:10PM
[Excerpts]Medina County Sheriff Neil Hassinger confirmed SWAT officers are posted outside the home of embattled Brunswick Hills Police Chief Robert Osiecki... Osiecki is home alone. He has guns inside the home... "He's been very respectful and friendly to me," Hassinger said. Police have blocked off Osiecki's home on Lonetree Court. [Full article here]

BRUNSWICK HILLS POLICE CHIEF SURRENDERS, ENDS STANDOFF
Plain Dealer
Patrick O'Donnell
November 20, 2008 17:26PM
[Excerpts]...Police Chief Robert Osiecki surrendered to a SWAT unit about 5 p.m., ending a five-hour standoff. Osiecki threatened to injure himself, police on the scene said. He had been suspended from his job two weeks ago after an altercation at his home and village officials were expected to fire him next week... Osiecki called police about noon and asked for help, though it was unclear what help he sought. Brunswick Hills police then called the Medina County Sheriff's Office, requesting backup. SWAT units were deployed and police talked with Osiecki over the phone... [Full article here]

STANDOFF ENDS PEACEFULLY IN BRUNSWICK HILLS
MyFox, Fox8
Thursday, 20 Nov 2008
[Excerpts] ...Area police chiefs who know Chief Osiecki were on scene to help with negotiations. Sheriff Hassinger says he spoke with Osiecki several times during the ordeal and says he never threatened to hurt himself, although there were weapons in the home. Osiecki also made several demands, although the sheriff wouldn't reveal what they were... Sheriff Hassinger says earlier in the day, several officers had gone to Osiecki's home to reassure him after an article appeared in a local newspaper Thursday. The article stated that next week he would be disciplined or fired for an October incident in which he allegedly was intoxicated and pointed a gun at a relative inside his home... Brunswick school administrators used reverse 911 to contact parents of students who live in the neighborhood. Since police would not allow school buses to travel in the area, those student were kept at school until their parents could pick them up... [Full article here]

BRUNSWICK HILLS TOWNSHIP POLICE CHIEF ROBERT OSIECKI SURRENDERS
Plain Dealer
Patrick O'Donnell
November 21, 2008
[Excerpts] Police Chief Robert Osiecki, the man charged with keeping the peace in this rural community, had a four-hour confrontation with heavily armed officers on Thursday that shut down much of his quiet neighborhood. After two SWAT teams patrolled outside his house and police talked to him for hours Thursday afternoon, Osiecki surrendered peacefully. Police from Osiecki's own department had called the Medina County Sheriff's Office for help after the chief threatened to harm himself. "They felt that something was going to happen, and that's why we got involved," Sheriff Neil Hassinger said... Osiecki, 50, who has a history of alcohol-related troubles, was accused by township trustees of handling a loaded gun while intoxicated during a domestic altercation at his home Oct. 29... In 2003, trustees suspended him for 10 days after he was found guilty of driving under the influence and crashing his township car into a ditch. He served three days in jail, but the remainder of his 30-day sentence was suspended. During that trial, State Highway Patrol officers said Osiecki had tried to get them not to charge him with drunken driving as a "professional courtesy." In 1998, Osiecki and his wife, Doreen, were charged with disorderly conduct after a fight outside a local fast-food restaurant... [Sheriff] Hassinger said Osiecki's family was not home at the time and was not allowed back in during the standoff. Hassinger, who said he has known Osiecki professionally for about 15 years, declined to give details about Osiecki's threats. He said the chief had at least two handguns in the house. Asked if Osiecki was carrying them during the standoff, Hassinger replied, "Possibly"... Hassinger said it was unfortunate he had to handle a colleague in this kind of situation. "As far as seeing a law enforcement officer doing this -- it hurts." [Full article here]

CHIEF IN JAIL ON $100,000 BOND
The Medina County Gazette
By Lisa Hlavinka lhlavinka@ohio.net
November 22nd, 2008
Brunswick Hills Township Police Chief Robert Osiecki is charged with handling a weapon while intoxicated and aggravated menacing following a standoff with police and SWAT teams Thursday afternoon. At 10 a.m. Friday, Osiecki, 51, was transported to the Medina County Jail after his release from Medina General Hospital, where he was taken Thursday for a psychological evaluation, the county sheriff’s office reported. His bond is $100,000. Handling a weapon while intoxicated and aggravated menacing are first-degree misdemeanors... Township trustees suspended Osiecki without pay on Oct. 31 and have filed written disciplinary charges of malfeasance, misfeasance and misconduct in office against him. The charges stem from an Oct. 29 incident. Although details have not been released, the incident apparently involved a domestic situation between Osiecki and his family in which he is accused of bringing a loaded firearm into a “dangerous and volatile situation,” a trustees’ resolution says. Trustees are waiting for the results of an investigation by the county prosecutor’s office... This is the second time Osiecki’s job has come under review. In 2003, he was convicted of driving under the influence. Trustees placed him on probation for one year and unpaid leave for 10 days. They required him to attend alcohol rehabilitation for one year, and while on probation, he was subject to random alcohol testing... [Full article here]

CHIEF'S FUTURE WITH TOWNSHIP UNCERTAIN
The Brunswick Sun Times
By Melissa Martin mmartin@sunnews.comBrunswick
Thursday, November 27, 2008
BRUNSWICK HILLS Township trustees say they are awaiting the results of an internal investigation being conducted by the Medina County Prosecutor's office before moving forward with a disciplinary hearing regarding township police chief Robert Osiecki. By Brunswick Sun deadline Tuesday, trustees were still uncertain whether the hearing, initially scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 26, would commence as planned in light of the two first-degree misdemeanors Osiecki was charged with last week. Police were called to Osiecki's Lonetree Court residence Thursday afternoon after Osiecki contacted members of his own department threatening to harm himself. Following a four-hour standoff with two area SWAT teams, Osiecki surrendered peacefully and was taken to Medina General Hospital for a psychological evaluation. Medina County Sheriff Neil Hassinger said Osiecki was intoxicated and home alone during the incident. He also said that in his possession were at least two loaded handguns. Upon his release from the hospital Friday, Osiecki was transported to the Medina County jail where he was charged with handling a weapon while intoxicated and aggravated menacing. He was held on a $100,000 bond. Trustee Christina Kusnerak declined to comment as to how the latest allegations would affect Osiecki's role with the township, but said trustees are proceeding cautiously. "We are very concerned for him and his family and hope he gets the help he needs," Kusnerak said. Trustees continued to meet in executive session last week as they have since Osiecki was suspended with pay on Oct. 30 following another domestic incident at Osiecki's home on Oct. 29. During that incident, Osiecki allegedly handled a loaded gun while intoxicated. The board has since filed written disciplinary charges of malfeasance, misfeasance and misconduct in office in connection with the Oct. 29 incident. They have also launched an internal investigation and participated in a series of closed-door meetings at the Medina County prosecutor's office to discuss disciplinary action and possible termination. [LINK]

BRUNSWICK HILLS TRUSTEES POSTPONE POLICE CHIEF ROBERT OSIECKI'S DISCIPLINARY HEARING
The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com, OH
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Brunswick Hills Township - Police Chief Robert Osiecki's future as chief will not be decided until Dec. 10 after township trustees delayed his disciplinary hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday. Osiecki, 50, has a history of alcohol-related troubles and is accused by township trustees of handling a loaded gun while intoxicated during a domestic altercation at his home Oct. 29. Osiecki, who has been police chief since 1993, is also scheduled for a bench trial on Dec. 12 on charges of using a weapon while intoxicated and aggravated menacing. Those charges are from his four-hour standoff with Medina County sheriff's officers Nov. 20 at his home after threatening to harm himself. Osiecki was released from County Jail on bond Tuesday, according to court records, and is now at the Windsor-Laurelwood Center for Behavioral Medicine. That center, with branches in Willoughby and Beachwood, treats mental health issues and addictions. [LINK]
[police officer involved domestic violence, ohio politics]