Police chief defends department as public presses for answers over OVI arrest and report edits

Police Chief Keith Tarase on April 21 told the North Royalton Safety Committee that a review of an October 2025 traffic stop involving a deputy chief from another jurisdiction showed inconsistencies between the officer's written report and body- and dash-camera video, prompting a prosecutor's review and later discipline for employees who released confidential records.

The internal inquiry, led by outside investigator James Hoeflich at the city's request, concluded that Officer Spencer Lowe and Sargent (Flo) Rybicki removed and distributed unredacted police records without authorization. The Mayor's office subsequently terminated Officer Lowe and demoted Rybicki; both have requested binding arbitration, Tarase said.

The case began with a traffic stop Oct. 12, 2025. Chief Tarase said his audit of the department's Sundance records system and review of body- and dash-camera footage raised questions about how some details were recorded in the officer's report. "When I read the report and then watched the video, the narrative did not match what was shown," Tarase told the committee. He said the city prosecutor later declined to pursue a felony firearms charge; the records history shows charges were removed from the offenses tab on Oct. 14 at 2:20 p.m.

Law Director Tom Kelly and the Mayor's office authorized an independent internal investigation after other agencies the city contacted declined to open their own probes, Kelly said. "I recommended we engage a respected outside investigator," Kelly said, describing Hoeflich as a former county prosecutor and noting the County Prosecutor's office reviewed and accepted the work.

Tarase emphasized that investigators reviewed sealed audit exports from Sundance and that the internal affairs team interviewed department members. He said the internal report documents that employees who removed files acknowledged their actions. "That investigation indicated unauthorized distribution of confidential records," Tarase said.

Residents attending the meeting contested parts of the city's account and demanded fuller transparency. Resident Nicolle Cruse played dash- and body-camera video for the committee and told attendees she and outside consultants calculated the vehicle's speed and observed lane violations and a lack of signaling; she argued those factors provided reasonable suspicion for the stop. "You can see how wide that turn is," Cruse said during the video replay, adding that the footage supported the officer's decision to stop the vehicle.

Others at the meeting said the Mayor's dual role as Safety Director and campaign contributions to city officials created the appearance of conflicts. "True transparency requires the public be aware of relationships," resident Susan Mitchell said. Several speakers also urged council to consider whether the city's investigation process was sufficiently independent.

Sargent John Stalarsky, who led internal interviews after the incident, urged residents to read the internal report and said investigators could not find evidence that the narrative text of the officer's supplemental report was changed. "We interviewed 15 people and examined the sealed audit logs," Stalarsky said. He said the investigators could not identify any edits to the narrative that would alter the account quoted in the initial report.

Tarase said claims that staffing levels have fallen dangerously low are not accurate and defended several policy changes made under his leadership, saying they were guided by risk management and evidence. He said the department's minimum on a platoon has been four officers and that overall staffing remains comparable to prior years.

The Safety Committee recessed for public comment and reconvened; council members asked the public to submit suggested ordinance edits by April 29 for separate business on the agenda. The two employees disciplined by the city have initiated arbitration proceedings, and the County Prosecutor's office provided a letter backing the city's review, the Law Director said. The committee did not take a formal vote on personnel actions during the meeting.

What happens next: the arbitration process is pending, and residents asked council for further transparency about the investigative record and policy decisions.

Provenance: discussion and evidence review appear in committee transcript segments beginning SEG 007 through SEG 016.