Charges dropped against nephew of former Akron police chief

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Charges have been dropped against the nephew of a city police chief who abruptly resigned last month in part due to allegations of misconduct relating to the investigation of his nephew.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports a judge dismissed charges against 41-year-old Joseph Nice at the request of a special prosecutor handling the case. He had been accused of theft, forgery and evidence tampering. The prosecutor declined to comment on why the charges were dropped.

A lawyer for Nice’s uncle, James Nice, has denied the former Akron police chief meddled in his nephew’s case. He resigned after also being accused of using a racial slur about police officials and having an affair with a member of the department.