The police chief of Ohio has been fired for refusing to take a drug test, which was prompted by the alleged presence of a potent marijuana odor inside the headquarters of the department.
According to a report by regional news outlet WXIX-TV, Mayor Jewel Hensley of New Miami has stated in a five-page document addressing various allegations against Chief Harold Webb that she detected a peculiar odor during her visit to the New Miami Police Department last month. Hensley and a local council member were present at the time as part of an ongoing effort to collect daily logs related to alleged falsification of timesheets.
As soon as she walked in, Hensley couldn’t help but exclaim, “Who’s been smoking weed in here?” The pungent smell of marijuana was overwhelming and potent enough to knock anyone off their feet.
According to Hensley, he did not detect this particular aroma when he visited the department earlier that day. However, he became more suspicious when he stumbled upon Webb and a friend in the garage area of the facility. Webb, on the other hand, claimed that the odor in question was a result of the department’s confiscation of a significant amount of marijuana earlier in the year.
Upon receiving a notification for a mandatory drug test, Webb was instructed to perform the test in the presence of a designated observer. Although he appeared for the test, Webb declined to comply with the witness requirement. Following this, he sent a text to Hensley expressing his intention to resign, but later reconsidered and requested to retire instead.
In the previous month, the New Miami Village Council made the decision to terminate Webb’s employment. The reason behind this action was the ongoing conflict between Webb and Hensley.