A 21 News investigation. Should Milton Township Trustees have known about the questionable past of their newest police hire?
The police force that he used to work for investigated him, which eventually led to the 37-year-old officer resigning amid allegations that had gotten too close -- physically and emotionally -- to some local high school girls.
Milton Township Police Officer Daniel Tickerhoof has just been promoted to full-time.
... Even though the former Canal Fulton officer resigned from that department just months after being suspended.
An 18-year-old high school student told internal affairs investigators that the married officer had kissed her on he lips in his patrol car, supplied her with alcohol, and touched her breasts.
The Canal Fulton Police Department initially asked the FBI in Canton and the county childrens' services agency to investigate claims that Tickerhoof, a patrolman, was spending too much time on-duty and off-duty with some high school girls.
After interviewing two women, an FBI agent concluded that Officer Tickerhoof did not violate any federal law.
Canal Fulton Law Director Scott Sellmeth tells 21 News quote: "There was an open file on Officer Tickerhoof, and his behavior was being monitored constantly before he left the department."
Because the FBI would not disclose it's agent's interview notes to Canal Fulton police, the Canal Fulton police force began their own internal probe. They interviewed people in May and June, of 2011.
One girl told Canal Fulton police that, when she was 18 and still in high school, Tickerhoof kissed her while they were both in his patrol car. She said that she slept with him in his Canal Fulton apartment - fully clothed. There she said he supplied her with beer and margaritas.
Patrolman Tickerhoof also allegedly associated himself with a 16-year-old girl, and according to the Internal Affairs report that relationship allegedly resulted in excessive texting. One text stated, "I wish you were 18," while another text described the 16-year-old as, "hot."
... And according to the 16-year-old female, in August of 2010, she was drunk at a party and called Patrolman Tickerhoof to pick her up and take her home. Instead, she says Tickerhoof took her back to his apartment. Tickerhoof allegedly made a statement to the teen that he could quote "be in big trouble if anyone found out what he did because of his job," and he allegedly instructed her not to say anything.
During the probe Officer Tickerhoof declined two opportunities to submit to polygraph examinations and also declined an interview by investigators, but investigators found that while on duty, he consistently spent much of his day at Northwest High School.
Canal Fulton Internal Affairs determined there were 10-administrative violations or code of conduct findings against Tickerhoof, there were also three misdemeanor crimes discovered as part of the internal investigation.
Tickerhoof agreed to a 14-day suspension for unprofessional conduct and poor judgment.
Tickerhoof resigned from the department 5 months later, in December of 2011.
The internal affairs report of it's investigation did not explain why Canal Fulton did not prosecute Officer Tickerhoof for the misdemeanor crimes that the report cited.
Canal Fulton's Law Director says there was no evidence of any felony.
The city's police Chief Doug Swartz tells me he interviewed the witnesses, and determined their statements to be credible.
Daniel Tickerhoof in a statement released this afternoon said, "I have never been charged or convicted of any criminal offense. I will continue to do my duty as a police officer as I am sworn to do."
As for Milton Township, Police Chief Bob Schaeffer tells me he's been looking into concerns about Officer Tickerhoof since they were brought to his attention shortly after Tickerhoof was hired full-time.
Chief Schaeffer says, "We're taking it very serious, and a decision will be made based on the totality of the facts."
Officer Tickerhoof is currently still serving his 90-day probation period with Milton Township Police as a new full-time officer.
Tickerhoof worked for three years as a part-time officer for Milton prior to being hired full-time.
We will continue to follow any developments in this story.