The ex-girlfriend of a former Akron police officer convicted of assaulting and stalking her — as well as stalking other area women — begged an Akron judge Monday not to release Eric Paull early from prison.
“Please protect me!” Alexis Dekany told Summit County Common Pleas Judge Amy Corrigall Jones during her tearful statement. “I believe he will end my life.”
Paull, 44, a sergeant who had been an Akron officer for 19 years, was sentenced in October to four years in prison after pleading guilty to felony charges of aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, menacing by stalking and other crimes in connection with a series of incidents involving Dekany and other women.
Three of the charges involved the illegal use of a Police Department computer to obtain information about Dekany, 32 female students at the University of Akron where he taught law enforcement classes and 21 area nightclub dancers.
Paull requested an early release from prison June 24, arguing that he has made progress while incarcerated, including completing several programs and regularly attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
During Monday’s hearing, Jones heard from Brian Pierce, Paul’s attorney, special prosecutor Angela Canepa, and Dekany, and listened to a letter from Dekany’s mother. Paull wasn’t present for the hearing.
The courtroom was packed with supporters and family members of Dekany and victim’s rights advocates who wore purple ribbons and a few of Paull’s family members who support his request for early release.
Jones said she will consider what she has read and heard and then will make a decision.
Pierce said Paull has spent nine months in prison and was locked up in the Summit County Jail for six months before that. He pointed to Paull’s participation in AA and counseling and his completion of victim awareness, healthy lifestyle and mental health courses as examples of his positive progress. He asked Jones to consider Paull’s previous “unblemished record” with the Police Department and UA.
Pierce also said Paull acknowledges the pain and suffering Dekany has endured.
“I think, if the court releases him, he will be a productive member of society,” Pierce said.
Canepa, however, said the state wanted to see Paull sentenced to more time in prison than he got and thinks he should serve the full four years.
Dekany echoed this during her emotional plea. She said she needs more time to recover from what she went through and to relocate before Paull is released from prison.
Dekany filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Akron late last month against Paull, the city of Akron, the city of Stow, the Akron Police Department and several other Akron and Stow officers. She claims police in Akron and Stow failed to protect her when she complained about Paull’s threats.
Jodi Henderson-Ross, an assistant UA sociology professor, said after the hearing that she uses Paull’s case as an example of police misconduct in the criminology courses she teaches. If Jones approves Paull’s early release, she said, she’ll also point to the case as an example of “judicial leniency” toward police.
“Ask yourself: If he wasn’t a white police officer, would we be here today?” she said. “You can respect law enforcement — and demand they be held accountable.”
Paull’s family members, however, said after the hearing that they think he has been punished and should be released. They claim Dekany is overstating what happened.
“He’s lost everything,” said Clark Mack, Paull’s uncle. “We want him out. He’s paid his price.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.