In an update from last week's news story on a Poland Township Police Officer placed on unpaid leave finds the investigation centers around a person who possibly overdosed while in police custody.

Officer Joseph Patton was placed on emergency unpaid suspension by the Poland Township Trustees on November 6, stemming from an incident on the job on September 8, after a female allegedly overdosed in the rear seat of a police vehicle.

According to records provided to 21 News, the Poland Township Chief of Police became aware of potential policy violations after viewing the officer's body camera footage from that date.

On September 12, Chief Greg Wilson called for an internal investigation after the footage from Patton and another officer's body camera footage allegedly showed Patton was called a little after 10 am for a complaint of a break-in. 

A Poland Township officer had stopped a female to question her about the alleged break into a shed. At 10:21 am, Officer Patton arrived on the scene, according to the complaint. 

The report stated the female suspect appeared to be agitated and using profanity when Patton walked away from the female, leaving her unattended. The officer returned to ask the suspect about a nearby cabin, and the female told the officer she passed by the cabin and made reference to her boyfriend's death from a heroin overdose.  

The evaluation of the officer's handling of the scene question stated the female should have been detained and not left unattended due to her incomplete answers and her mentioning of drugs. 

Officer Patton gave the female a verbal order she couldn't leave but then left her to return to his patrol car to run information on the suspect, where dispatch informed him the subject had a warrant for drug possession with a caution, needing to be confirmed. The report states that the female subject should have been handcuffed at this point but was not.

At 10:46 am, Liberty Police dispatch confirmed the warrant; the officer allegedly left the suspect to retrieve gloves from his cruiser. 

A search of the female's jacket found what was believed to be heroin or Ice (crystal methamphetamine).

The report states that Officer Patton partially searched the suspect and should have been patted down after alleged drugs were found on the suspect. No female officer was called to search the female suspect. 

During transport, the second officer at the scene notified dispatch that the suspect wasn't verbally responding to the officer and found that she wasn't breathing. Narcan was provided, and the female regained consciousness.

This is when a white powder was found on the rear cruiser seat.

The investigation was completed in late September and alleged violations of police policy, including incompetence, inefficiency, and neglect of duty.

The Board of Trustees, including Eric Ungaro, Joanne Wollet, and Edward Kempers, unanimously voted to place Officer Joseph Patton on emergency unpaid leave from the department on November 6.

 
Patton has been with the Poland Township Police Department since 2019.