OFF THE WIRE
A Sandusky police officer remains on administrative leave as authorities try to sort out his role in an altercation last week with motorcycle-club members at a local bar.
But in addition to the internal investigation by Sandusky police administrators, Erie County Sheriff’s deputies have also conducted an investigation that could result in criminal charges for Officer Mel Burns.
Specifically what type of charges he could face, no one will say.
Police administrators say Burns was on duty when he put himself in the middle of an argument between the Outlaw and Warthog motorcycle clubs at Margaritaville bar.
Burns was placed on paid leave shortly after the incident, and police Chief Jim Lang quickly asked Lt. John Orzech to do an internal investigation.
Orzech ’s completed report was slated to be on Lang’s desk last Wednesday, before Orzech left for vacation, but that never happened.
“In doing the internal investigation, several people have indicated there may be some sort of criminal charge,” Lang said. “I turned that part over to the sheriff’s office.”
Lang asked deputies on Aug. 29 to conduct a criminal investigation, Erie County Sheriff’s Capt. Paul Sigsworth said.
Sheriff Terry Lyons immediately put Sigsworth in charge of the task, and Sigsworth has since assembled a report for prosecutors.
But a special prosecutor must still be assigned to the case.
“All the facts are gathered,” Sandusky city prosecutor Lynne Gast-King said. “Now it’s up to a prosecutor to make a decision on how to proceed.”
Gast-King said she’s handing the case off to a special prosecutor to avoid a conflict of interest, since Burns is a Sandusky police officer.
Sandusky law director Don Icsman will choose the outside prosecutor, although he’ll likely pick Norwalk law director Stuart O’Hara.
Still, there’s a long list of prosecutors to choose from, Gast-King said.
Gast-King is currently prosecuting a case for O’Hara involving a fight between Monroeville police Officer Wallace Johnson and Huron County Deputy Chris Williamson.
Lang, Sigsworth and Gast-King all refused to comment on the possible criminal charges Burns could face.
Lang did confirm, however, that at least one person filed a complaint form against Burns for the incident at Margaritaville.
And despite earlier saying there was no police report from that incident, police administrators now say an incident report has been created.
Lang said all the reports will be provided to the Register this morning.
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/sandusky/crime/2011/sep/07/authorities-consider-criminal-charges-against-sandusky-officer
