Board favors McLeod's case ruling

Troy Police Chief Robert McLeod let out a sigh of relief Friday when a board voted 9-1 to accept the dismissal of all charges against him stemming from a 2006 stun-gun incident.

Three of the 13 Public Safety Officers Standards and Training Council, or POST, council members recused themselves.

The vote is the final nail in the coffin on the case against McLeod. Two weeks ago Hearing Officer Mike McCarter released a 25-page recommendation that all charges against McLeod be dismissed.

The council members were told they could either vote to accept the recommendation, or a lesser punishment. Considering the recommendation of full dismissal, the only other option was for council members to open their own investigation.

One council member asked about the option of requiring McLeod to undergo further training. While that was not an option, McLeod volunteered to do so. He will take Taser, ethics and report writing classes.

“It’s all over,” McLeod said. “And the classes will only benefit me and the people I work to protect in Troy.”

The case against McLeod stemmed from a November 2007 incident in which Alfred John (A.J.) Haflich stole beer from the Town Pump. After arresting Haflich, McLeod stunned a handcuffed Haflich in the backseat of his police cruiser when he believed Haflich was motioning to kick him.

A key statement in McCarter’s 25-page recommendation is that “the wisdom of McLeod initiating the encounter, or best police procedures, is not a factor in the analysis.”