Riddle retiring as PIB police chief

PUT-IN-BAY — Put-in-Bay's suspended police chief will retire at the year's end following a negotiation with the village government. Chief Steve Riddle, who was put on paid leave following contentious arrests on the island on June 6, will retire Dec. 31, according to a copy of an agreement signed by Riddle and village Mayor Jessica Dress. Following the incident in June, where officers under Riddle's command arrested nine people — the majority of whom are Black — several of whom were also shocked with Tasers and several of whom had officers point firearms at them. It all stemmed from a golf cart traffic stop; police pulled the cart over for suspicion it had too many passengers, and the incident escalated when officers tried to arrest a woman for allegedly concealing drugs. Groups including the Sandusky NAACP condemned the arrests in Put-in-Bay, which resulted in charges including fifth-degree felony aggravated riot, even for at least one of the cart's passengers who is seen in body camera footage apparently trying to deescalate the situation. After some of those arrested spent several days the county jail in Port Clinton, prosecutors dropped all charges against them. The incident occurred just weeks after George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by Minneapolis police, sparking nationwide civil unrest. The village hired an independent agency to conduct an investigation of the incident and officers' conduct. That investigation is complete, but the village and attorneys representing the village have refused to release the findings. Susan Keating Anderson, an Avon attorney representing the village, previously denied a request from the Register to get a copy of the final investigation report. Anderson denied the request, claiming the report was exempt from Ohio public records law because it's a "trial preparation record," among other things. "The report was sought by the village in reasonable anticipation of civil or criminal proceedings arising out of the June 6, 2020, incident which, as you likely know, involved initial criminal charges against numerous defendants, sparking protests, public scrutiny and media attention," Anderson previously told the Register. Some of the nine people arrested — along with another woman who claims a Put-in-Bay officer used excessive force on her in May — have filed civil lawsuits against the village seeking damages in excess of $75,000. The civil complaints were filed in federal court Nov. 5; attorneys for the village have not yet filed responses to the plaintiffs' claims. Both incidents also sparked an FBI investigation into potential civil rights violations. Federal agents have not released any timetables or updates on the status of the investigation. Retirement negotiation After the incident in June, the village suspended Riddle with pay — his annual salary is $72,000, Dress said. The village solicitor entered negotiations with Riddle following the completion of the investigation. "Following the investigation it was clear to me we needed a change in leadership," Dress said. "I asked the village solicitor to negotiate an amicable parting of ways." The result of the negotiation was that Riddle would retire Dec. 31, but also receive a one-time contract to act as independent contractor for the village beginning Jan. 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2021, according to the agreement. The village will pay Riddle $36,000 over this six month contract. "It's a form of compensation — a severance, per se — of parting ways to have him retire from the position so we can bring in new leadership in that vacant position to move the village forward," Dress said. Riddle will also be paid about $12,200 for unused sick leave and vacation time, the agreement states. Riddle was first hired as Put-in-Bay's police chief in 2017 after more than 40 years working as an officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. During his time as chief, he routinely ignored Register reporters' requests for information, including information relating to the June arrests. Dress hired former Wood County sheriff's deputy James Kimble as interim police chief in late June. After Riddle's retirement, Dress will recommend his replacement to village council. "My plan as mayor would be to recommend Kimble," Dress said. She said that Kimble was "thrown into a challenging situation" at the police department, but believes he's done an "excellent job" so far. Dress wants the village to have a police department that's "accountable, responsible and makes our residents and visitors feel safe," she said.