Politics & Government
Medina Releases Documents On Chief Jeffrey Chen's Termination
The city responded Friday to a public records request by Bellevue Patch.
The city of Medina fired Police Chief Jeffrey Chen over a range of alleged misdeeds, citing instances of what it said were dishonesty, abuse of position and improper access of city resources.
It sent out this statement at 5 p.m. Friday regarding his :
"On Wednesday, April 27 the City of Medina terminated the employment of Police Chief Jeff Chen, effective immediately. The termination came after an extensive outside investigation and review. Chief Chen had been placed on administrative leave pending results of the investigation.”
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The city also released documents Friday (attached to this article) pertaining to the investigation.
In one of them, the notice of Chen’s termination, City Manager Donna Hanson wrote that Chen violated a code of conduct in various ways, including lying during two city investigations, abusing his position in voiding some tickets, making improper purchases and improperly accessing the city’s email archives.
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“The position of Police Chief is vital to the Medina and Hunts Point communities. It was determined that Chief Chen’s departure, while extremely difficult, is ultimately in the best interests of the City, its residents, and the Medina Police Department,” the city’s statement said.
“The Medina Police Department services have continued without interruption. Lt. Dan Yourkoski is Acting Chief of Police. The City will initiate a comprehensive recruitment process in the coming weeks and will involve the public.”
In an email apparently sent by Chen to Medina and Hunts Point residents Thursday and provided to Bellevue Patch, he refutes the accusations and claims the city manager pressured him into resigning.
In response to the city’s findings, Chen methodically counters the claims with detailed explanations. He concludes:
“At the heart of the issue is whether or not I had authorization to do my job as the Chief of Police and the personal conflict I have endured by the City Manager for over 2 years. This so called ‘investigation’ has morphed into a witch hunt to draw in tangential issues that have nothing to do with the initial whistle blower matter I brought forward and am now being persecuted for. Frankly this entire report and process is and has been an abomination and an incredible waste of the taxpayer’s money,” he wrote, according to the document.
He also wrote that Hanson had a conflict of interest and shouldn’t have conducted the investigation.
The city’s attorney, named as Bruce Disend in the city documents, couldn’t be reached Friday evening for comment, nor could an attorney for Chen, not named in the documents. City officials could not be reached Friday evening for comment on the documents released.
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