The Ohio University Police Department officer dismissed and banished for threatening a superior officer made those threats two hours after the officer allegedly discovered his wife was sexually assaulted.
Former Officer Greg Sloane was fired and banished from OU property July 26 for violating OUPD policies and the Ohio Revised Code after threatening OUPD Lt. Chris Johnson with bodily harm in a May 21 telephone call.
Sloane made the threats against Johnson, his superior officer, to OUPD Communications Officer Dee Gray from his cell phone at the hospital where Sloane's wife, Cathy Sloane, was receiving care for alleged sexual assault, according to OUPD Officer Mike Swearingen's statement.
Gray received and transferred Sloane's phone call to a recorded line about two hours after Sloane discovered his wife unconscious and lying in the backyard of their home, according to Swearingen's statement.
Johnson had been sent by OUPD Chief of Police Michael Martinsen to relieve Swearingen, who was one of the first law-enforcement officers to arrive at Sloane's home, according to investigators.
Sloane repeatedly threatened to break Johnson's legs if he did not leave his house, using expletives, according to investigators.
Johnson said that he left the property once Gray informed him of the threats. Martinsen allowed him to leave the area 17 minutes later, according to the notes from Sloane's pre-disciplinary hearing.
I think the (investigation into the threats) was handled appropriately on behalf of the university
Johnson said.
The investigating officer at the Sheriff's Department, Sgt. Allen Flickinger, was not able to confirm any details of the ongoing investigation into the alleged attack on Cathy Sloane.
I was a victim of sexual assault Cathy Sloane said. Greg Sloane could not be reached for comment.
According to Officer Sloane his wife stated someone had come up from behind her and hit her in the back of the head. Prior to doing so
this person stated 'this is for Noftz
' Swearingen wrote in his statement.
This statement refers to Cathy Sloane's lawsuit against Ohio University for Noftz's alleged sexual harassment, filed February 2006.
Sloane, formerly a full-time permanent police officer at the Ohio University Police Department since 1994, had a $48,401.60 salary. Sloane was on paid administrative leave from May 21 until the day of his termination, July 30.
During his 12 years of service to the OUPD, Sloane received regular performance evaluations. The supervising officers who evaluated him indicated he was almost always an effective contributor or better in his quality of work and other categories. Several letters of commendation included in his personnel file praised his police work on different cases and occasions.
However, Noftz's Sept. 2004 evaluation of Sloane stated that Greg has identified bringing the department down as a personal goal
and for that reason indicated Sloane needed improvement on organizational values.
17
Archives
Rebecca Black
