NEW CASTLE —
Chico’s partner will keep his job.
New Castle policeman James Hoyland will remain temporarily suspended, reimburse the city for a police dog and relinquish his K-9 unit membership.
New Castle City Council Wednesday night determined the fate of the patrolman, whose K-9 partner died June 4 after being left in a car for nearly four hours.
Chico, a 6-year-old brindle Dutch Shepherd, was found unresponsive in the back of a police cruiser and rushed to a veterinarian, but died soon after. An autopsy indicated he had died of heat stroke.
The vote was 3-2, with Bill Panella, Richard Beshero and council president MaryAnne Gavrile in favor. Karen DeCarlo and Ed Yerage voted no.
At a private hearing Wednesday before attorney Phillip L. Clark, who served as administrative law judge, council heard testimony from one witness — New Castle Police Chief Thomas Sansone.
At Hoyland’s request, the hearing was closed to the public.
“This was for council alone,” Gavrile said. “Even the mayor was not included in the hearing.”
Prior to the hearing, Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo was present, as were about two dozen police officers, including some from Union and Shenango townships.
Thursday morning, Mastrangelo said he had no comment.
The city was represented by solicitor Michael Bonner. Hoyland, represented by Eric Stoltenberg of Pittsburgh, an attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 21, was not present.
Gavrile said Hoyland did not attend the hearing on the advice of his attorney.
“He said if he did, he could be giving up his right to arbitrate.”
Council deliberated for about 45 minutes before reaching its decision.
“He will be suspended without pay for a total of 60 days,” Gavrile said. She noted Hoyland has been suspended since about June 6, and is now in his 32nd day. He also must make restitution for the dog prior to his reinstatement and will no longer be part of the K-9 unit.
Gavrile noted the same legal firm represented former New Castle officer James J. Paglia. On March 14, council voted unanimously to remove Paglia from the force. Paglia has appealed that ruling.
“We felt that is appropriate discipline,” Gavrile said of council’s decision Wednesday. She added it was difficult.
“The hardest thing was we were given no evidence for the defense,” she said.
Gavrile added council was able to question Sansone, and had many questions for Clark during their deliberations.
Thursday morning, Sansone said the decision was up to council “and I must live with what they decided.”
He declined to give his opinion or to say what he would have liked to have seen.
“We’ll proceed and wait until we can schedule his return.”
He added Hoyland, “is holding up pretty well, considering everything.”
The chief said he is checking on prices of dogs to determine what restitution the officer will be expected to make.
“I don’t know if we’re replacing Chico or pricing a generic police dog and I don’t know if we can count on anything from insurance.”
Police dogs cost about $10,000, he said, and the training could take the price as high as $15,000.
TOP STORIES
Related Photos
-
Chico Contributed photo
Discussion
Chico’s partner to stay on police force
- TOP STORIES
-
-
Primary 2013: Former superintendent earns New Castle board nomination
Voters nominated four candidates for four-year terms in each of Lawrence County’s eight school districts yesterday. New Castle and Ellwood City had candidates running on one ballot only, but all others crossfiled, meaning they appeared on both Republican and Democratic ballots.
-
Primary 2013 Briefs: Voters stay home in droves
Less than one-fifth of Lawrence County’s eligible voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary. The Lawrence County Board of Elections reported that 9,291 — or 17.1 percent — of the 54,342 eligible voters turned out Tuesday.
-
Photo Gallery, Video: Procession, flag-waving crowds salute fallen policeman
Throngs of people crowded along East Washington Street Wednesday, paying final tribute to fallen officer William J. “Jerry” McCarthy IV. A motorcade of about 20 motorcycles and more than 200 police cruisers, all with flashing red and blue lights, created a sensation as it rode slowly toward Shenango Township.
-
Primary 2013: Former mayor wins city council nomination
New Castle City Council will have three new members next year as a result of Tuesday’s primary. Tim Fulkerson and Anthony J. Adamo won the two Democratic nominations for four-year terms.
-
Primary 2013: Township voters nominate supervisors, auditors, tax collectors
Voters selected their candidates for township offices in Lawrence County Tuesday. Voters in all 16 townships will elect one supervisor each to six-year terms.
-
Lawrence County Primary 2013
The New Castle News is covering the 2013 primary in Lawrence County with stories, photo galleries and video clips from local polling places.
-
Primary 2013: Six candidates seeking City Council nominations
Six Democratic candidates are seeking their party’s nominations for three seats in Tuesday’s primary. Voters will nominate two candidates on both Republican and Democratic ballots for four-year terms and one candidate for a two-year term.
-
New Castle Schools: District answers two state audit findings
New Castle school district administration answered two of the findings in a state auditor general’s preliminary report. The audit, which has not yet been finalized, covered the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. The preliminary report also contains an observation, which the district answered.
-
New Castle Schools: Finding pinpoints nonpaying out-of-district pupils
New Castle school board members are waiting for the final determinations of a state audit that contained three preliminary findings. Earlier this month the board publicly discussed those findings from the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years, and the district administration has responded to two of them to the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General.
-
Photo Gallery, Story: Ceremony remembers fallen officers
Last year there were 12. This year, there are 13. The law enforcement community paused Thursday to remember Lawrence County’s fallen officers in a ceremony outside the New Castle police station.
- More TOP STORIES Headlines
-
