Tipp City police sergeant’s handling of document gets him put on leave

TIPP CITY — A Tipp City police sergeant is on paid administrative leave in connection to a yearlong investigation into a picture of a police record posted on Facebook.

Sgt. Marc Bayse was placed on administrative leave at the end of January following an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, according to Bayse’s personnel records.

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Chief Eric Burris wrote in a press release that there was sufficient evidence to support a thorough administrative investigation.

Calls to Burris from News Center 7 have not been returned.

News Center 7 requested BCI’s investigative report into Bayse, which revealed an investigation into a photo of a Piqua police record that included the name of an uncharged suspect in a high-profile case and was shared on Facebook.

Bayse’s name was redacted from the investigative documents because he’s not facing any charges.

Piqua police started the investigation in August 2018 before BCI took it over in April 2019.

In a 2018 report by Bruce Jamison, Piqua’s police chief at the time, he wrote that it was a very serious breach of protected information and a violation of Ohio public records laws.

Bayse was interviewed by BCI investigators in October. They repeatedly asked why he would take a picture and then send it to someone, according to the report.

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“I work midnights; I’m 53-years-old,” he said. “To be honest with you, I don’t recall sending it, but if you have the records.”

In October, the investigation was presented to the Miami County prosecutor who then passed it to a special prosecutor from Shelby County.

The case was presented to a grand jury on Jan. 23. They declined to indict Bayse.