Yellow Spring cop cleared, fired

An internal investigation into the actions of a former village officer determined his use of force during an arrest in May was appropriate, according to a copy of the investigation report obtained by this newspaper.

Officer John Whittemore, a probationary village officer hired in March, was fired on July 5.

“Officer Whittemore was probationarily terminated because he was not a good fit for the community,” said Patti Bates the village manager in a written statement.

An internal investigation report dated the same day as Whittemore’s termination indicated he exercised “improper conduct” stating there was information missing from a one page narrative of his report. The missing facts became known later after Whittemore completed his report and the investigation was initiated, wrote Sgt. Joshua Knapp in the 18-page internal investigation report.

The investigation stemmed from an arrest Whittemore made on May 30. Around 9:30 p.m., Whittemore saw Leonid Alexander Clark walking near a hotel on Xenia Avenue. In the report, Whittemore noted Clark appeared to be "agitated," under the influence of alcohol and failed to obey commands to stop walking.

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