Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Chief, others defend actions in accident involving mayor

No citations were issued after Mayor David Shaver's vehicle struck another car in a minor traffic accident Aug. 31.

By DAVID S. OWEN

Pickerington Police Chief Michael Taylor and other city officials dispute claims by City Councilman Michael Sabatino that Pickerington Mayor David Shaver received special treatment after being involved in an auto accident Aug. 31.
In the late morning of Aug. 31, Shaver was involved in a traffic accident with another vehicle driven by Melissa Canter of Pickerington.
Police reports state the accident was minor with no injuries and no citations were issued -- although Shaver was determined to have been at fault in the accident.
The accident was reported by police as an inappropriate lane change.

It was reported that when the police arrived on the scene, the two cars involved were about a half mile from where the accident took place.
Because of that, standard police procedure is to not launch an investigation, but merely report the accident Taylor said.

The mayor was not issued a citation because ''we have to be able to prove they -- the person at fault -- knew they were in an accident,'' Taylor said.

According to Taylor, Shaver did not know he was in an accident.

''I felt I hit a curb and continued on to the office,'' Shaver said.

''In these cases, no citation is given, and at that point in time we are merely reporting the accident and not investigating it,'' Taylor said.
Canter declined to comment about the accident and referred a reporter to the police report.
Sabatino said he believes what the police department is supposed to do when a law is broken is to issue the offender a ticket.
''That's part of what funds the police department,'' Sabatino said.

''That's what I expect to happen. If I did the same thing I would've gotten at least one ticket, and maybe two,'' he said.

Sabatino said he has asked City Attorney Phil Hartman to draft an ordinance that proposes a policy to forward such cases involving elected officials to be investigated by an outside agency.

Sabatino also said he believes the city manager should have to answer to all City Council members and not be under the supervision of only one city official.

''Any time you have a broader oversight it lessens the chance for there to be a question,'' he said.
Shaver said ''I think it's sad that Mr. Sabatino has a poor opinion of the police department, and thinking they or Chief Taylor would show any favoritism.''


PICKERINGTON TIMES-SUN September 14th 2005

By Careful Driver.

Mike needs a ticket


Pickerington City Council President Heidi Riggs, issued a statement explaining it is inappropriate for council to intervene in the internal operations of the police department.

Riggs said that procedurally Taylor handled the traffic incident with the mayor no differently than how a similar incident would be handled in most Central Ohio cities.

City Councilman Doug Parker said ''For the fear of the look of impropriety, we should have some type of policy in place that would not put the elected official or the police department in any type of a precarious situation.''

''For a councilman to make a suggestion that the city needs legislation in order to prevent a cover up or a perceived improper investigation for incidents involving elected officials is uncalled for,'' Riggs said.

''You empower your chief of police to use (his) discretion in doing the right thing,'' she said.
''To take this discretion away from the chief is to say we have no faith in his leadership or the leadership of the city manager,'' Riggs said.



By Careful Driver

Who you going call?

No sooner had Mike Sabatino predicted he would get TWO tickets and sure enough coming out of the Stone Creek Diner at 9:54 AM this morning Mike was stopped by the Pickerington Police. I believe the reason the officer stopped the black vehicle was they the police officer could not tell if there was a driver operating the over sized pick-up.

As usual that first step is a big one. Exiting his Dodge RAM truck Sabatino stumbled and fell on the officer. The officer thinking he was being attacked by a midget responded with his chemical mace.

After arriving at the police station, Sabatino was sent into a small room near the rear of the building for a FULL CAVITY search. Fearing Sabatino was still dangerous and the police not wanting to take any chances sent two officers to conduct the search. As Sabatino was standing on the white line about to bend over to assume the probe position the young detective fiddling with his newly acquired tazer gun fired off a round into the round buttocks of the search victim.

Sabatino losing control of his lower extremities and with his knees buckling cracked his chin on the table edge thus putting a huge cut in his tongue.

With the blood everywhere the Violet Township EMS was called. Upon the EMS arrival that asked Mike his name. He replied, ?“Ike Abe eno?”. Fearing that a dangerous criminal that had just attacked a police officer was now on the loose an all points bulletin was put out on Michael Sabatino. The police also were faced with the determination of was this a simple identity theft or was this someone simply imitating a Pickerington City Councilman?

Putting his best detective on the case the Chief was determined to get to the bottom of this case. So the young detective escorts Ike to the interrogation room for some good cop, bad cop. So the good cop offered Ike a steaming cup of Joe. It was so damn hot it scalded Ike?’s mouth and cauterized his tongue. So the young detective said, ''so Ike why did you attack the officer?'' Sabatino said, ?“I am Mike Sabatino and I know the Mayor so back off.?”

Suspecting some more violence the young detective placed his trusty Ohio Highway Patrol lazor gun at the ready. No really, ?“I am Mike Sabatino?” he said. ?“Please don?’t shoot me again?”, Mike cried. Just give me my damn two tickets and I will speed out of here. As Mike stood up and started for the door the young detective said, ?“Hold on one minute.?” The detective said, ?“Abe Eno you have not explained the silver bag found in your shorts marked Columbia Gold.?” Oh that is just some coffee I sell. The young detective says don?’t try that on me I know cocaine comes from Columbia and in comes in silver bags. ?“I never heard of coffee coming from anywhere other than Kroger?”, the detective said. You are going to need to stay with us for the night and we only have one cell. I hope you and Bubba get along.

Mike or Ike made his one call to the Mayor. Just as the Mayor was late again and pulling into the police parking lot at 56 MPH heading for the Black Bumble Bee Truck Chief Taylor wakes from his nap.


By Afternoon Napper

Changing into New Romeington

Sabatino said he believes what the police department is supposed to do when a law is broken is to issue the offender a ticket.
''That's part of what funds the police department,'' Sabatino said.

''That's what I expect to happen. If I did the same thing I would've gotten at least one ticket, and maybe two,'' he said.

I think we should all shudder if Mike Sabatino was in charge. What he is proposing is that the Police department should issue tickets to anyone and everyone that the police only suspect have violated the law in anyway.

In the same newspaper there were two other traffic mishaps that ended in neither driver getting a tickets. In fact, one of the reports with no ticket was issued the day before the Mayor's mishap.

To have Mike Sabatino position you must believe the Mayor is a lair beyond every reasonable doubt. The Mayor's actions and statement of hitting the curb are very credible. So is Mike wanting Justice or wanting to settle a vendetta?

So with Mike in charge anyone he didn't like would be subject to one of his investigations right?

Or maybe Mike is moving into another plan of making the Pickerington Police Department a Profit center. I think that is very possible in that there are a number of New Rome Officers out of work now. I believe the number for New Rome were about 60 residents and 18 police officers and the police brought in half million a year that they knew of. I think some of the elected official help themselves to the proceeds.

In either case Pickerington would not be a pleasant place to live if Mike was in Charge or even on council.