TRUMBULL COUNTY Warren detective to appeal decision on discipline

A detective's actions were an abuse of authority, a city official says.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A police detective whose 40-day unpaid suspension was upheld by the city's safety-service director plans to appeal to an arbitrator.
Atty. Randall Weltman, who represents Detective Dewey Gray, said a notice of appeal will be filed in the next few days.
Gray could not be reached to comment.
"This is excessive," Weltman said. "It's way out of line."
Doug Franklin, the city's safety-service director, stands by his decision.
"Officer Gray's actions were so clearly an abuse of his authority, especially given the fact he went out of his way to be involved, that the level of discipline was necessary," Franklin's letter states.
Police Chief John Mandopoulos issued Gray's discipline in April. Gray is a 14-year department veteran.
Reason for discipline
Gray was accused of offering to buy a German handgun from an elderly woman.
The chief stated in his three-page ruling that he found Gray guilty of two administrative charges, using his position as a police officer to gain advantage in personal matters and for buying an item from a person he came in contact with through his employment.
Internal affairs officers say Gray bought a gun from a person who had turned over two guns to the police department. Gray also offered to buy the second gun, internal affairs officers state.
The chief added in the ruling that Gray's actions in the case have caused fellow officers and the public to question his integrity.
The internal affairs report says a woman called police last September and asked them to take a .32-caliber revolver and a German Luger handgun. The woman's husband was in a nursing home and she no longer wanted the guns in her house.
The detective offered the woman $20 for the revolver and told her he'd have the Luger appraised before making her an offer.
Before getting the guns appraised, he learned an internal investigation had been started and turned the guns over to the department's evidence room, records say.
sinkovich@vindy.com