KIRTLAND, Ohio — Right now Kirtland's police chief, Lance Nosse, is still on unpaid leave from the department while the city council is still undecided about his termination from the department.
On Monday council met for nearly eight hours to decide whether Nosse should continue as chief of police. But around 2 a.m., the meeting ended and no formal decision was made. Instead they will reconvene during an emergency meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. where it is suspected they will come to a conclusion.
Last month, the mayor of Kirtland filed a termination letterfor Chief of Police Lance Nosse after a nearly three-month investigation unveiled multiple instances of misconduct and what the city called "habitual drunkenness."
Nosse planned to resign and retire effective July 2 but then took back that resignation and retirement on July 2 because of a disagreement in the sum of payout. In turn, the city issued the termination letter to Nosse.
In the termination letter, Mayor Kevin Potter addressed an investigation that found Nosse "guilty in the performance of your official duty of misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, misconduct in office, gross neglect of duty, and/or habitual drunkenness."
Frank Consolo, Nosse’s attorney, called the allegations against him unfounded and said it comes down to the mayor and police union, the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, wanting him out of the department.
"There's a responsibility of the administration to interact with Chief Nosse under Family Medical Leave Act, under the American with Disabilities Act. This is basic."
On Monday several witnesses were interviewed by the city’s law director during the eight-hour meeting. City employees said they have witnessed Nosse with alcoholic beverages in a city-owned car and have overheard the chief using derogatory language.
Though this is not an official criminal trial, city council members were asked to not speak about anything shared during Monday's hearing.
The emergency meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m.
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Kirtland Chief of Police terminated for 'habitual drunkenness' and other misconduct
