Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Former Officer Christopher Fox Accused of Allowing Underaged Teens to Drink

A former North Olmsted police officer accused of allowing underage drinking at his home is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Christopher Fox, 49, who was fired by the department on Nov. 21, faces 31 charges of liquor offenses involving underage persons stemming from a New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day party at his Barton Road home.

North Olmsted Law Director Michael Gareau and Anthony Manning, an attorney representing Fox, did not immediately return voicemails seeking comment.

Manning has filed a motion to have some of the charges against Fox dismissed, court records show.

An oral hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, and a jury trial is scheduled to begin on May 27, although a jury trial was scheduled and then postponed in March, court records said.

Shortly after Fox was fired, Gareau told the Northeast Ohio Media Group that his dismissal was unrelated to the charges against him.

Fox was let go for abuse of sick leave, according to his personnel file, which North Olmsted provided to the Northeast Ohio Media Group in December.

The 23-year veteran of the North Olmsted police force was first disciplined for improperly using sick leave in 1998 when he was suspended for five days for sick leave abuse, his file said.

His file shows a pattern of abusing sick leave during his tenure with the North Olmsted police department. In 2012 he was suspended for another sick leave violation and disciplined for failing to report for duty because of off-duty alcohol consumption.

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