interview with sergeant shane mauger€¦ · web viewplease refer to reynoldsburg police file...

Interview with Sergeant Shane MaugerFebruary 24, 2012 at 10:08am in the Chief’s Conference Room

My name is David D. Sturtz, I am a special investigator for the Mayor of Reynoldsburg. The date is Friday, February 24, 2012, the time is 10:08am. Our location is the Chief of Police conference room, Reynoldsburg Police Department. This interview will be recorded and transcribed. The person being interviewed at this time is Sergeant Shane Mauger, unit 99 of the Reynoldsburg Police Department. He is being represented by Mr. Joe Haagendess, the Ohio Patrolman Benevolent Association. Sergeant Shane Mauger, unit 99 is not the subject of this Administrative investigation but is here to provide truthful and accurate information pertaining to the circumstances involving an incident that occurred on Tuesday, December 27th and Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 involving one police officer named Daniel Edward Downing, unit 144 and a Ms. W**** G******. Please refer to Reynoldsburg Police file 1-11-009642 and Pickerington’s Police case file C11-1918.

Sturtz: Sergeant Mauger I ask you, do you understand what I just read into the record as to what we are here for?

Mauger: Yes.

Sturtz: And you did read and understand the Garrity?

Mauger: Correct.

Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: One thing is, my badge number is 99, not 199.

Sturtz: Oh, 99 thank you for that correction.

Mauger: We don’t have…..

Sturtz: We stand corrected, unit 99….thank you.

Haagendess: I just want to make sure it is clear that he has not evoked his Garrity rights. I know you asked if he understood them, I just want to make it clear that we are invoking them also. I won’t interrupt anymore, I just want to make sure.

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Sturtz: Thank you.

Haagendess: On the record….

Sturtz: Alright, thank you. It is on the record. Sergeant Mauger, how long have you been a Reynoldsburg Police Officer?

Mauger: Since April 16, 1996.

Sturtz: What positions have you held in that time on the police force?

Mauger: Patrol Officer, School Resource Officer, SWAT team leader, Detective,…….. Sergeant.

Sturtz: How are you rated as a front line supervisor? Your last rating.

Mauger: Average I would say.

Sturtz: Ok. How long have you been Officer Downing’s supervisor?

Mauger: Um, approximately two (2) years.

Sturtz: Two years. And how long have you known him personally?

Mauger: Since I started supervising.

Sturtz: Ok. Have you ever evaluated Officer Downing’s work performance in the past?

Mauger: Yes.

Sturtz: And what would it be?

Mauger: Uh, close to excellent.

Sturtz: How well do you get along with Officer Downing?

Mauger: As a supervisor I get along with him pretty well.

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Sturtz: Have you ever corrected any of his operations in your two years that you have been his supervisor?

Mauger: Yes, I have given him corrections on his paperwork….my corrections and um, I guess the only other type of corrections that I noted to him was um, sometimes he has a ……… Officer Downing is very into his work and arrest and I know I have noted it on his evaluations I believe that sometimes he gets involved in the handling of the cases by the prosecutor’s too much and makes comments to the prosecutors about how his cases are handled. That’s the only thing I can really remember noting on him as really this is out of our hands…..leave it alone type of thing.

Sturtz: Sure.

Mauger: You know and they need your input they will ask for it…kind of. But other than that, minor paperwork corrections that’s the only thing I can note of.

Sturtz: Ok. Are you Officer Downing’s personal friend?

Mauger: No.

Sturtz: Do you have an off duty relationship with him?

Mauger: No.

Sturtz: Do you know a Ms. W**** G****** prior to December 28, 2011?

Mauger: No.

Sturtz: Did you ever hear her mentioned by Officer Downing in any casual conversation?

Mauger: No, the only thing that I can remember with Ms. W**** G****** is that after the fact that I believe seeing a request for a ride along form where she had done a ride along at some point in time over the two years I

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remember seeing that name come across my desk on a piece of paper for permission to do a ride a long, but other than that I have never met her or seen her.

Sturtz: Ok. After the events of 12/27/11 and 12/28/11 involving Police Officer Dan Downing and Ms. W**** G******; you wrote an official report 1-11-009642 on the circumstances. Who did you submit that report to?

Mauger: I submitted it into our system, um……… and the around 6:45am that morning I met with Lt. O’Neill, my direct patrol supervisor and verbally gave him the event that happened that evening on third shift.

Sturtz: That was my second question, who did you verbally report to after fact?

Mauger: Lt. O’Neill.

Sturtz: And give me the content of that verbal report.

Mauger: I explained to him that um, that Officer Downing had contact me ….. I think it was around 12:00-12:30 that night saying that there may be a problem with a girl that he knew making statements that she um, wanted to hurt herself and that it transpired and gotten worse as time went on and that she was possibly coming to Reynoldsburg and that she was coming to Reynoldsburg and that she had a weapon on her and um, you know…… as time went on it just kept getting more serious in my mind, her threats to Officers, herself and all Reynoldsburg Officer’s I was taking it. Um, and that……I tried to locate her a couple of different ways as far as Delaware County go to her house/her sister’s house…..

Sturtz: Right…..

Mauger: When she was not there it started making me more worried that maybe she was in route to the city and she started the threats…….comments I believe were about “I hope your boys are strong enough tonight”, “I am going to force one of your boys to light me up” ..….when I talked to Officer Downing about….I first talked to him about what kind of cell

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phone carrier she had, because I was thinking about trying to pinging her but then I thought that would take too long and Officer Downing had actually brought it up to me that up north they have used On-Star before and that he knew her car was equipped with….it was a brand new GMC and was equipped with On-Star. So in my opinion, my experience this could be a life or death situation. I did contact On-Star and talked to someone in their support staff who got me a contact, I believed a girl named was Lisa in their law enforcement security division and basically asked me to …. quick thing about what was going on, was it life or death and I told them what it was and they gave me a location of where she was at and that’s obviously …….. I gave the verbal synopsis to Lt. O’Neill and I did say she was arrested by Pickerington and he basically said ok and I told him that I did do a report, what we call a field interview report and that it was obviously in the report system.

Sturtz: Very good. What did Officer Downing tell you about Ms. W**** G****** when he first contacted you?

Mauger: He said….when he first contacted me we were at the, he contacted me on the MDT system and said that I would like to meet with you real quick. I said that I was at Brice and Main and I would just meet him at Kmart. He came up to the Kmart parking lot and said hey, I have a friend who ……. I don’t know what is going on but she is making threats to herself. At first I was like ok…..you know she is making threats to herself, ok. I think in any of these you have to assess exactly what is going on. I think we all know that some people say stupid things all the time whether it is serious or not. I told Downing, ok……she is making threats. He said that it is starting to get a little more serious than that, she said she is coming to the city, I don’t know what that means, but she says she is coming this way. I said, “that kind of changes things a little bit”. So we relocated down here at the police department parking lot in the front lot, still in our cruisers but pulled up side by side. He said, she is starting to threaten…..at some point in time he told me that she told him there was a gun in the car in her lap. And I said, “Dan, you obviously know this person better than I do, is she serious or not?” He said, well

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she does this a lot I know she was drinking she was at a Columbus Blue Jackets game and when she drinks she sometimes does this and she was out with her friends at a Blue Jackets game tonight. I said, ok. I said that I am not trying to get into your personal life but I need to know a little more about what is going on.

Sturtz: Sure.

Mauger: I remember asking him….at one point in time he said this is like a friend of 15 years, I think. I said ok, is this a friend? Or a friend? And I was referring to is a true friend or more of an extra-marital friend, you know. He knew what I was talking about the way I said it and he made an innuendo that it was an extra marital kind of friend.

Sturtz: Yes sir.

Mauger: I said ok. Well, you know her and you obviously know more or better than I do. Is she serious? He said, “I don’t know”. I said, let’s just sit here and then the texts started coming more frequently about and I was not looking at his phone, that was his personal cell phone I was not watching the texts come in. He said, ok well now she has made a comment that she ……. I hope your boys are strong tonight, I hope Reynoldsburg Police are strong tonight….something to that effect. I said, well Dan now she has crossed the line in my opinion. I said that I am going to go in and let our guys know that are working the road what is going on. I said, just in case she is coming to the city. I actually sent Officer Scalmato and Officer Vincent…..because I asked Dan, which way will she be coming? And has she been here before? He said, yes she has been here several times and actually she has been here to ride with me and she has been here several times before. I said, which way is she going to come? And he said, she will come 270 to Main and come here. At that time I sent Officer Scalmato and Officer Vincent to the 270 and Main to set up and look for this car if it was coming to the city while I was basically sitting here trying to figure this out with Officer Downing.

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When the text came in when she was going to force, I am sorry at that time I sent……I said where does she live? Downing told me and I sent Delaware County as I have already said. They said she was not there, sent them to her sister’s house which Dan said she frequent a lot. She was not at her sister’s house which made me worry more and ok maybe she is obviously mobile, where is she at? Downing was still saying I don’t think she will come here, she works out at Scotts out at Marysville. She went out with her work friends, she probably will spend the night out in Marysville like she does a lot. I told him….ya know, let’s see what they say if she is at the sister’s house. Delaware County said she was not at her sister’s house, but it was evident in us….she sent a text and said, now you are involving my family, like she was pissed that we involved her family.

Sturtz: Yea.

Mauger: And then I said, obviously her sister has been in contact with her and Downing was like ya, obviously so. I think that a little more agitated cause I believe that is when Downing said the text started coming more…. “force your guys to light me up tonight”…. Or whatever and I taking it as if she was basicallythreatening to come here to …. suicide by a cop.

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: Or something bad. I took that as a threat towards all of our officers working. I told Dan, Dan I hate to get your personal life involved but she is kind of bringing it to us and I am not going to sit on this information and you know……… someone shoots her or she shoots one of us and I am sitting here with my tail between my legs kind of thing. He said, I totally understand that’s why he said do what you gotta do. I had a buddy killed in Cleveland, Police Officer and I don’t want to see it happen again so…. Ya know. I had informed, at that point in time I had called into our dispatch center, I believe first to Dispatcher Newman or Dispatcher Spohn two of them were working that night and I said, hey go ahead and

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start a leads bolo on this and Dispatcher Newman did, she started initiating a leads bolo at that time.

Sturtz: Yea.

Mauger: Um, at that point in time I contacted On-Star. Dan had given me information and they have used it before in Cleveland when he was an officer. I contacted them and they called back and gave me the information that she was at interstate 70 east coming up on 256. I am sorry, they gave that information to our dispatcher and related it to me and On-Star told our dispatcher they had to call Pickerington. Their protocol was that they had to notify the jurisdiction the car was going into.

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: I immediately left here like a bat out of hell going towards 256 and I got on the radio to Officer Vincent who was down, at that time he had moved down to 256 Wal-Mart/Best Buy area and I told him to start looking for her car in the parking lot. Because, we believe….Officer Downing believed that the text came in way too quick for her to be driving.

Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: Because they were coming in back to back to back. I told Officer Vincent, might be in a lot……I will check Wal-Mart, you check Best Buy we will start checking the lots and at that point in time our radio told us, hey they just dispatched a call they have her stopped out of a traffic stop and I am coming up and at that point in time I am coming up on Wal-Mart, I don’t know if you know but here at 256 it is maybe not even a ½ mile where she was stopped at Tussing. Pickerington had her stopped at Tussing and 256. So, I just lights and sirens on and INAUDIBLE down to that officer which was at the Speedway at Tussing and 256.

Sturtz: Right.

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Mauger: Um, I immediately got out of my car and the Pickerington Officer was approaching the car and I said, “hey have you made contact yet?” and he said, “Yea”. You could tell he was confused as to why I was running hot so to his location but there just was no time for….I don’t even think his dispatcher got a hold of him, it just transpired so quick from the time On-Star gave us the location to where I was at it was just quicker for me to get there then to make a phone call contact. I told the officer, hey this car may have a gun in it…suicide by cop and we immediately got our weapons out and approached the car, the female which ended up being Ms. G******……

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: Stepped out of the car and I immediately and asked, “Do you have a gun on you?” and she said, “yes”. At that time the Pickerington Officer kinda of came around to the door jam area…..car door was open and he was kind of standing in the car door jam area and I was on the side of the car and I had grabbed Ms. G****** and cuffed her after she acknowledge she had a weapon on her.

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: And he immediately said, “Here I’ve got it”. I said, “Is it on you or in the car”? and she said, “It’s on the floorboard” and he said, “I got it”.

Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: At that point in time Officer Joe Vincent pulled up, who is a Reynoldsburg Officer and she immediately acknowledged who Officer Vincent was, she was like “Joe, Joe this gun is not meant for you guys……” she made a statement that was like this was not meant for any of you guys like I am not going to hurt any of you and Officer Vincent took her from the Pickerington Officer why we basically cleared the rest of the car and took her back and put her in his crusier for a minute why we basically figured out what happened and what the game plan is, who is going to make the arrest and the charges and stuff like that.

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Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: They, Pickerington said that they were going to charge her with the CCW and firearms while being intoxicated and they made the arrest. Officer Vincent, we exchanged cuffs out and put Pickerington’s cuffs back on her, took my cuffs off and put her in a Pickerington cruiser and me and Officer Vincent cleared and ……. the other thing I immediately told to Officer Downing was not to come down to that location and he was to stay in the city and after I cleared the stop I met with Officer Downing and explained him what had happened and we were going to do a report and I needed him to put some of the narrative what his text messages were in his statement.

Sturtz: Yea.

Mauger: And he asked me if I minded if he locked his statement so that the Lieutenants could see it. In other words, he still wanted to try and have a little bit of privacy at that time without everybody around here knowing what was going on and I said yea, that was fine we could lock his statement so the Lieutenants could read it. Just as long as we got it down as to what transpired and we will make what we call or what the system calls a field interview report.

Sturtz: Yes, thank you. Now my question, did Officer Downing relate to that he/ was in a long term personal relationship with Ms. W**** G******? And I believe you answered you kind of figured out what the conversation…..was it extra-marital? Is that your conclusion?

Mauger: That is my conclusion, I don’t……I mean he never came out and said it but the way I asked it question and the way he responded is the way I took it was yes, this is a relationship that he had and more than a friend relationship.

Sturtz: Ok, very good. Sergeant Mauger, did you personally feel Officer Downing gave you sufficient information upfront on Ms. G******? And her mental state? Did you feel comfortable with what he was telling you?

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Mauger: Yes.

Sturtz: And it was acceptable to you? And you believed it?

Mauger: Yes.

Sturtz: From just his demeanor or?

Mauger: Well, I think…..like I said I don’t know Dan on a personal level and for Dan or Officer Downing to is a very…… Officer Downing comes to work for 8 hours and for 8 hours of pay. He works his butt off. He never has had in the two years probably anything to me INAUDIBLE pass in passing and another officer that came from the Cleveland area that is good friends with Officer Scalmato, me and Officer Scalmato are pretty decent friends. I hear stuff about you know ……..

Sturtz: Sure.

Mauger: But as far as me and Downing having a personal relationship, no so for him to come and tell me that I think it took a lot and if he is going to tell me that the way he was telling me, I was taking it for what he was saying as the truth and credible.

Sturtz: Ok. Do you feel of that night and that time frame that Officer Downing was concerned for his safety or for any other officers on your department that could be exposed to Ms. G****** in her state of mind at that time?

Mauger: Yes. I believe he was concerned for all of our safety because he made the comment when I told him…..when I referred to him, Dan I know this is personal but I am concerned about everybody’s safety and this to me was a threat and especially how this unraveled and he said yes, I 100% agree. I had a buddy killed like this and I don’t want to see myself or any officer get hurt tonight. He was genuinely concerned not only about his safety but all of ours.

Sturtz: Ok. Why did you feel the need and importance of contacting On-Star to locate where Ms. G******’s vehicle was? And you have already

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answered this but how did you know her car was equipped with On-Star?

Mauger: First, I thought it was a life or death. Her life or our life was in danger and as I explained I did not immediately jump to On-Star. I tried to locate her for her well being by contacting Delaware County.

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: And with everything that transpired, with her not being home I have to take her messages that she was relaying to Dan that she was on her way here. We could not find her using typical methods, using another agency…….

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: And, she was not giving us anything else like I am kidding or I am here, I am out in Marysville….I am coming there to Reynoldsburg and this is what is going to happen. I consider this very INAUDIBLE. I took it very serious…..

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: And especially a supervisor, you are going to….if something does happen it ultimately is on my head and my conscious and I did what I thought was the proper thing to do and for her safety and our safety and Officer Downing did say that he had used On-Star like I had already answered and that her car was equipped with it because it was a newer model GMC.

Sturtz: Ok. Did Officer Downing tell you early on about the weapon and how she got control of it?

Mauger: No. He said she had a weapon with her according to her text message.

Sturtz: Ok, but you did not know how she came in possession of it?

Mauger: No, not until afterwards.

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Sturtz: Ok, did you know at any time during the search for Ms. G****** that the weapon she had in her lap was owned or had been controlled by Officer Downing? And you started to answer that but maybe flushed that out……

Mauger: I had no idea that it was owned or controlled by Officer Downing at any time before that stop.

Sturtz: Ok, when did you find out about the ownership?

Mauger: Um, I don’t know if it was later that night when he was doing the report or after the story broke. I will say this, he mentioned…..the only thing he told me about gun related thing that night was he uh, he said something about just going shooting with her, they had just gone down to Athens County to do some shooting

Sturtz: Uh, uh.

Mauger: ……….and that he just bought her some ammunition. He was like she was going to probably use the ammunition that I bought her to kill me. I don’t think he mentioned the gun, that is the only thing I can remember that night is about the ammunition but not about that gun.

Sturtz: Uh, I guess well when did you actually find out that…….

Mauger: It was after the stop, I think it was after that night.

Sturtz: Yea.

Mauger: I think it was some time later. I don’t know if it was before the story broke or not because after the story broke everyone was asking a million questions.

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: Um.

Sturtz: Yea.

Mauger: I think maybe he did mention something to me afterwards in passing. Like that gun is the same type of gun we use to have together, that we

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had or I had and um, Officer Downing did just this weekend explain it to everyone on our shift. He made an announcement and I know now it came to be but I don’t know or don’t think I knew then like I said the only thing he told me was about the ammunition?

Sturtz: How do you know now and what?

Mauger: One of the guys on our shift came to me and said hey a lot of the guys on our shift think it is pretty bad that Downing hasn’t made an apology to everybody on our shift or at least told us what is going on considering we were working that night. They wanted to kind of approach him in a roll call type of fashion and I was like guys, if you want to approach Dan one on one I think that is the best thing to do, I don’t want to have this done as a roll call in front of everybody. If Dan wants to talk about it I cannot order Dan to talk about it or order him to give you an apology whether it is right or wrong or how you feel about it.

Sturtz: Sure.

Mauger: One of the officers went to Downing privately and said, hey I think maybe you owe all of us an apology or explanation and it was just like U think the night I heard it was like the 12th, On February 12th Officer Downing called and asked if I mind calling everyone to the station and having a meeting with them and Officer Downing met everyone at the station explained his relationship with Ms. G******, which was really the first time….it had not really been explained or understood what had actually transpired and he met with us and gave us information on all that and information on the gun at that time.

Sturtz: What was his explanation?

Mauger: His explanation was that he and Ms. G****** had had a relationship back in the late 90’s, early 2000’s. I believe he used the word engaged at one point in time and while they were in their relationship they had bought two guns together, the same gun off the internet like broker.com INAUDIBLE and their relationship, and he used the word mental illness fell apart. I think he said she moved out here and got this job with Scotts

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Lawn and he ended up marrying his wife and then I think he said in 2007 or 2006 him and his wife started having problems, actually separated and at the same time his buddy had gotten killed up north on duty and he had kind of you know stressed out over everything and came back down here to the Columbus area, I think that is when he applied or started applying around here for jobs. I took it as when he said he came back down here that he may have started seeing Ms. G****** again and he said at some point in time from the time they first bought the guns when they were first together in the late 90’s early 2000’s that time he had actually sold his back online and he was not really sure or what she had done with her weapon. He said he did not know if both were in his name or both were in her name when we bought them it was so long ago. That was the explanation that he gave our shift and then he said that he and his wife ended up working out, came down here and bought a house and this is where we are at.

Sturtz: So Officer Downing is married?

Mauger: Yes.

Sturtz: Ok. My question is what if any conversation did you have with Officer Downing that related to his long term relationship with Ms. W**** G******? You have answered that pretty well. So let me ask you another question here. Did you ever knew or ever speak directly with police chief David Suciu about the relationship between Officer Downing and Ms. W**** G******?

Mauger: Yes.

Sturtz: When and where did that conversation take place?

Mauger: I know that it happened in the Chief’s office. I believe we met twice. We met once…… It was not the morning that that all happened I reported to Lt. O’Neill. I would say that maybe sometime that next week.

Sturtz: Yes.

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Mauger: Maybe that next week….I don’t know what day of the week that was, weekend or week. Whatever day that happened sometime within the next three (3) days we, I believe me, the two lieutenants and the chief met in his office and went over basically what we went over, the report that was filed and I told him that he, he asked me basically if this was I don’t know if he used the word mistress but INAUDIBLE well like I said I told him and I told the chief and I told you I asked him if this was a friend or a “friend”? and he answered it the way I believe was extra-marital and gave an innuendo and basically was yes this was a friend or girlfriend and then after 10tv started investigating this he had called me….I think that story broke on a Thursday with 10tv on the actual media…..

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: The Chief called me on my desk phone the Wednesday morning that Wednesday before hand, the Wednesday before that broke and said hey I am just leaving my house which is in Zanesville and he goes if I don’t get there by 7:00 would you stay because I want to clarify this and we met again in his office, me, the two lieutenants ……..

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: Um, and he INAUDIBLE again what was or is it his girlfriend or not is what I think he said and l said like I told you given the answer it was I believe it was his girlfriend and said ask Dan and he will tell you or Officer Downing and he asks me some specifics about, the day that Akers which was the reporter texted him that morning or that night because he was reading off his Blackberry the questions basically, why did you cuff her and why she put in Officer Vincent’s car because he said he just wanted to respond to this guy.

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: And that was it.

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Sturtz: Ok. My question is did you speak directly with Lt. Scott McKinley or Lt. Jim O’Neill about the relationship between Officer Downing and Ms. W**** G******? If so, when and where did that take place? And you said it occurred in the Chief’s office and it was the Chief and both lieutenants and you explained the night’s activities and you did give your personal opinion that it was more than just a friendship and that it was just an ongoing relationship?

Mauger: Yep.

Sturtz: Ok, did you make up any report in writing about this relationship about this relationship between Officer Downing and W**** G****** or was it just verbal report?

Mauger: Just a verbal report to the Chief.

Sturtz: Oh that, you did not…..

Mauger: I did not put my opinion in the actual field interview report with the case number you gave me. I had put my personal opinion on whether it was his girlfriend or not in that report, no.

Sturtz: Ok, that was my question. As a supervisor, what you know and understand about Officer Downing’s relationship with Ms. W**** G******, in your mind does it come to the level of conduct unbecoming or off duty as pertaining to your general order 26.1.1?

Mauger: Um, I think it is a gray area and I reported it to my lieutenants and my Chief……

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: And when I got the….when I heard the Chief’s opinion on it I took it as no.

Sturtz: What was his opinion?

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Mauger: He said in both meetings, I think his exact words were “This is not the first time someone has cheated on their husband or wife and it is not the last time that someone has cheated on their husband or wife” and he asked me if I had reason to believe if anything had happened….because I think that morning when I reported it to Lt. O’Neill he said, “Is there any allegations of anything that happened to the two of them on duty”? I said, “No, not to my knowledge”. The Chief basically said the two times that we met here, he said basically “It is not the first time someone has cheated on their wife and it is not the last time it is going to happen” and there have not been any allegations made that anything has happened on duty, then he just did not see how anything played into it at that time.

Sturtz: Um, uh. Let me ask you a question as a supervisor….

Mauger: Um, uh.

Sturtz: Let me run through this so you understand.

Mauger: Ok.

Sturtz: Normally the fact that the officer came to you and said that I have a friend that she has threatened suicide or suicide by cop, she has a weapon and you introduced the fact that it was more than just a friend that was threatening this and coming and his association with her but other police officers, not only Reynoldsburg but the surrounding area or even traveling from Lewis Center if she had been stopped and nobody knew she had a weapon that his relationship with her outside his marriage could of caused and I am underlying could of caused a very large tragedy to somebody. What does that do in your opinion as to that relationship?

Haagendess: You are asking him to speculate INAUDIBLE.

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Sturtz: I am asking a question, it is a legitimate question. I am not asking you to speculate. He is a veteran officer, he is a supervisor, and I am asking you what your opinion is?

Mauger: My opinion is could that extra-marital relationship, could it have caused a tragedy that night?

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: Yes it could have.

Sturtz: Ok, I went a long way around there but that is this…..that is the conclusion. Now, was Officer Downing ever questioned about the ownership of the weapon that Ms. G****** was carrying when she was charged with CCW?

Mauger: Not to my knowledge.

Sturtz: Ok. Did you personally hear the conversation between the arresting Pickerington Police Officer Carl Colberson and Ms. W**** G****** when she alluded to the fact that Officer Downing of the Reynoldsburg Police Department was her boyfriend?

Mauger: I don’t know if I heard that or if they or he or one of his supervisors said that and said what she said. She may have gotten out of the car and said that, that night but I don’t remember…..I cannot say for sure.

Sturtz: Ok. One of the follow up questions was, was the fact that she was in an ongoing affair with the Reynoldsburg Police Officer….

Mauger: Did I know that?

Sturtz: Did you hear that and when did you come into that knowledge?

Mauger: Um, well basically Dan told me that beforehand so I knew it then but I don’t know that Carl Colberson told me that.

Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: I don’t think Carl Colberson…………

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Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: Just to clarify I did receive a call that night from a Pickerington Officer, I don’t think it was Carl Colberson. Yea, it might have been a supervisor saying, hey….basically we are charging her, she will be at Fairfield County and she is saying a lot of things about Officer Downing. I think I said is there anything about his conduct on duty? He said, no. I said, Look I said that if I was in her position I would probably be saying a lot of things too. I said, I really don’t need to know about it unless there is anything INAUDIBLE I said, alright I am going to basically do what I told him, I think I told that officer that supervisor –I don’t know what his name was and told him that we were doing a report and I would pass everything along to my lieutenant.

Sturtz: Very Good. When you first learned that Pickerington Police had custody of Ms. W**** G****** where were you?

Mauger: Um, 256/Stonetrail Way…probably-area.

Sturtz: Ok. How long did it take you from that location to literally get on the scene where she was apprehended?

Mauger: Seconds……less than ½ minute I would say.

Sturtz: Uh, when you say seconds you would not have had time to alert your dispatch to alert Pickerington?

Mauger: Our dispatch, Pickerington……..It is my understanding that Pickerington called us and said hey we’ve got her stopped but we have not been able to tell our Officer what we know from On-Star. On-Star called Pickerington’s dispatch and told them…..their protocol from On-Star is to call the jurisdiction the car is entering. Obviously On-Star knows which way it was going on 256….

Sturtz: Sure, yea.

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Mauger: Called Pickerington to notify them of this and it is my understanding that Pickerington’s dispatcher said we just stopped that car on a traffic stop. On-Star told Pickerington that it was a Reynoldsburg initiated On-Star track or whatever the word is. The Dispatcher from Pickerington called us to see what was going on. They called our dispatch and our dispatch notified me when I was on 256 because I was looking for and thinking she was coming 256 to 70 north.

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: And our dispatch said, hey Pickerington has that car stopped at Tussing. I was like I am right here…I will just head….me and Officer Vincent, like I said I had him checking some of the large lots for the parked vehicle and we just took off and went to the scene for the traffic stop.

Sturtz: And you have already explained why you handcuffed her, you just secured her off the scene.

Mauger: Yes. She admittedly, I specifically asked her when we brought her out of the car at gun point asked, “Do you a weapon?” She immediately said yes.

Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: And that is when I cuffed her. I said, “Is the weapon on you?” She said, “No, it is in the car.”

Sturtz: Ok. The question has come up, why was she placed in the Reynoldsburg cruiser instead of the Pickerington?

Mauger: Me and the Pickerington Officer were still at the car and Officer Vincent was like the third officer coming up she immediately acknowledged she knew Officer Vincent, she kept saying “Joe, Joe this gun was not

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meant….the gun is not meant for you guys and…….I did not know that Joe knew her

Sturtz: Oh, ok…….

Mauger: so Joe kind of knew her. The Pickerington Officer was still at the car to clear the car and just makes sense, obviously you have a felony stop it really does not know whose car it goes in, she is secured and needs to get somewhere.

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: Basically she needed to be secured somewhere and me and the Pickerington Officer needed to figure out what was going to transpire from there who INAUDIBLE taken, that type of thing.

Sturtz: Sure.

Mauger: She was put in Officer Vincent’s car for a few minutes with Officer Vincent. Officer Vincent was with her, I believe by then Officer Colberson met and I think another Pickerington Officer pulled up to decide what they were charging her with and I basically gave them the synopsis of what we already talked about and this is what happened.

Sturtz: Ok. After Ms. G****** for CCW by Pickerington Police; did you or Officer Downing later in the evening have any conversations about her being arrested and how the evening ended?

Mauger: The only conversation we had was I told him we were going to do a report and just to put in your narrative…..I told him that you don’t have to put every single text message you got in there before but what was related to the threats. I told him that I needed something regarding the threats verbatim and he said ok got his cell phone out and was putting the parts about threatening himself and the police. That’s all I can remember we talked about that night. I told you he said, hey I would like to lock this narrative and I said ok, we can do that.

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Sturtz: Did you realize that he text message to her that this information is probably going to cost me my job?

Mauger: No.

Sturtz: Did he ever mention that to you at any time?

Mauger: The only thing that Officer Downing told me when we were meeting while this was transpiring he mentioned the fact that the other reason it was extra marital was he used the term, “I made my bed now I have to lay in it”.

Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: So other than that, no.

Sturtz: Ok. Did you respond to the questions of Channel 10’s investigative reporter Paul Aker that were posed to Chief Dave Suciu or did the Chief use your information?

Mauger: Which questions are you referring to?

Sturtz: The ones that Aker asked the Chief. He asked him about 4 or 5 questions about………

Haagendess: Were these the ones on the cell phone that the Chief had? That you mentioned earlier?

Mauger: The Chief was contacted by Akers obviously by text…..

Sturtz: That is correct.

Mauger: Yea and he had some questions.

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: The Chief asked me when he met with me, I think he verbally asked me the questions because he was scrolling down his Blackberry and asking

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me the questions that Akers asked him on the meeting Wednesday morning.

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: And I answered them.

Sturtz: You responded to them?

Mauger: To the Chief.

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: Then later that day or the next day the Chief basically said uh, he responded to Mr. Akers about some other question and I cannot remember what it was….he was like I just don’t want to put words in Officer Mauger’s mouth or the Chief said I don’t want to put your words…..so I am going to ask you these questions. I think the only question was why was she handcuffed?

Sturtz: Yes.

Mauger: And I said, I responded to the Chief. I would not have responded to Mr. Akers I think.

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: I was responding to the Chief. Yes, I did cuff her but this is why; she had a gun.

Sturtz: INAUDIBLE.

Mauger: Who is not going to take care of her when she said she had a weapon on her? She basically confirmed everything happened she confirmed it by and before we brought her out of the car we said do you have a gun on you……Yea. Who is not going to cuff her>

Sturtz: Right.

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Mauger: And it just happened like I said Pickerington Officer was in the door jam already and it made sense for me to cuff her or anybody cuff her.

Sturtz: Right. How did you satisfy On-Star’s request for the legitimacy of your police department and your position as a sergeant requesting their assistance in locating the vehicle driven by Ms. G******, did you do this in writing or was it all over the telephone?

Mauger: Verbal on the telephone.

Sturtz: Verbal on the telephone and they accepted the fact that you were a legitimate sergeant of a legitimate police department?

Mauger: Yes, what they do if I remember right is switch you to their security division and then you have to be on a recorded line, they switch you to a recorded line they let you know that. They basically say is this life or death, you answer yes. They take all your personal information, as far as who you work for, what agency, then they say we are going to call your agency to verify who you are and then we will give you the information or give the information to dispatch.

Sturtz: At any time you talk to, I think you said Lisa.

Mauger: Yea.

Sturtz: Did she ever say you need a subpoena or did they go on the urgency of what was going on?

Mauger: They never mentioned a subpoena or anything like that. That is basically what that is for an exigent. They asked if it was life or death, I believe I said yes. Obviously you know that and I know that but when it is like that it is INAUDIBLE you don’t need a warrant or subpoena or….

Sturtz: Right.

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Mauger: Or anything else.

Sturtz: Ok. Did anyone up the chain of command feel that circumstances involving Officer Downing and Ms. W**** G****** rose to the level of an internal investigation?

Mauger: Not that I know of.

Sturtz: Ok. Did you feel that Officer Downing was truthful with you about his personal relationship with Ms. G****** when he first related her suicidal threats to her and I believe your answer was yes?

Mauger: Yes, I believe he was truthful.

Sturtz: Ok. Do you as a first line supervisor feel that Officer Downing’s relationship with Ms. W**** G****** was in violation of any rule or regulation of the Reynoldsburg Police Department’s behavioral standards? This is a tough one.

Mauger: It is subjective. You could go two ways on it. I think that the word in the general orders uses you live yourself as an unsullied lifestyle. Does that mean sully? I don’t know how you interrupt it. I guess my answer is, “I don’t know” that is why I told my lieutenant. I don’t know if this qualifies…..the other thing I think needs to be understood is up until 25 years ago it would have been considered, Conduct Unbecoming…I do. My dad was a police chief for 40 years and we have had this conversation and he kind of had this same thing. 25-30 years ago things were a lot more strict and in black or white and you cheat on your wife and yea, it was unbecoming. However, things are a lot different now and I would say that no it is not conduct unbecoming and I think it is definitely not that INAUDIBLE. Now that I know according to Officer Downing what the status of that relationship with him being separated his wife and maybe going through a divorce but then getting back with this wife….I don’t know, it is very cloudy at best.

Sturtz: Ok.

Mauger: It is subjective.

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Sturtz: What was your father a police chief?

Mauger: Worthington.

Sturtz: I think I know your dad INAUDIBLE on highway patrol

Mauger: Oh, ok.

Sturtz: I bet so.

Mauger: Mike Mauger?

Sturtz: Mauger, yea. Why did you and Lt. Jim O’Neill post Ms. W**** G******’s information in your database for future reference for the rest of the personnel in your department?

Mauger: I did not post anything.

Sturtz: I read an email where you and Lt. O’Neill made a decision to put her….it is called a management database?

Mauger: It was not me.

Sturtz: You are not….

Mauger: That was Sergeant Cindy McComb. I remember, I believe Sergeant McComb sent an email posting her picture to everybody within the patrol department in case she came into the building so they would know her picture as an officer safety. Hey if this person comes into the lobby this is who it was and she threatened officers. I don’t remember writing any email or posting anything. The only thing I would have done is put her as a suspect, her information as a suspect in the information report.

Sturtz: Ok. I will re-read that email.

Mauger: I don’t recall sending any emails posting information around the department but I remember Cindy, Sergeant Cindy McComb writing something. I may have responded to it like ok, or this is …… I don’t remember. I remember and email came out basically for Officer Safety if

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she came into the building. I believe that was issued by Sergeant McComb, but I don’t really know.

Sturtz: You have already answered this question. What do you personally feel should take place the off duty actions of Officer Downing in regards to this relationship? You have answered that.

Mauger: I mean, I think that you learn from everything and I think the department can learn from something like this is the standard that we are going to use from here on out. This has never really transpired like this before….

Sturtz: Right.

Mauger: And I think the department can learn, they can put a standard in that this is…..

Sturtz: Yea.

Mauger: If they want to, your question to me is this a violation they can make a decision it is a violation or isn’t a violation.

Sturtz: Sure.

Mauger: And go from there.

Sturtz: Ok. One last question, is there anything else that you need or want to bring to my attention that would assist in this investigation related to Officer Downing or Ms. W**** G******? Any question that I have not asked you that you want to bring forth?

Mauger: No, I don’t think so. I have answered everything.

Sturtz: Yes you have.

Mauger: Like I said, I did not know of any relationship before that night. Like I said, Officer Downing keeps everything close to his vest INAUDIBLE everybody around here. And um, that is just kind of how he operates. He keeps to himself.

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Sturtz: Ok. Sergeant Mauger I want to thank you for INAUDIBLE, your answers were without hesitancy. You answered truthfully in my mind and I appreciate your time. I will, it is going to take me a little time to do this investigation because I have a lot more people to question but you have given me good information which will help me in this investigation so I thank you for your time and I appreciate your honesty. Joe, I appreciate you being here and when this does finish up you will be supplied with……

Haagendess: I appreciate that, thank you.

Sturtz: ……whatever information. So at this time 11:04am on Friday the 24th year 2012 the interview of Sergeant Shane Mauger is now ended.

Trailing Information:

-Interview recorded-Document transcribed/CLK-Original to Mr. David D. Sturtz-Copy to Case File-Copy for investigative file for Mayor Brad McCloud

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interview with sergeant shane mauger€¦ · web viewplease refer to reynoldsburg police file...

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