Two veteran Akron police officers are on leave after separate traffic incidents.
One is accused of having a firearm in her vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
The other was in a crash with his wife in which both were injured, her seriously. The crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.
In the first incident, Lt. Kris Beitzel, the department’s 2015 Officer of the Year, was pulled over by a trooper with the Ravenna post of the State Highway Patrol on July 10. She was charged with improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fifth-degree felony, and two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a first-degree misdemeanor.
The felony charge is particularly serious because Beitzel faces the loss of her job if convicted and would be unable to carry a firearm.
Beitzel has pleaded not guilty in Portage County Common Pleas Court, where a trial is scheduled Nov. 22 before Judge Laurie Pittman. She is currently on unpaid administrative leave, said Lt. Rick Edwards, a police spokesman.
In the second incident, Sgt. Vince Yurick was driving his 2008 Ford Mustang GT in the 2100 block of Canterbury Circle in the Coventry Crossing housing development about 9 p.m. Sunday when he lost control and struck a tree. He and his wife were transported to Summa Akron City Hospital where he was listed in stable condition and she was in critical condition as of Monday evening, according to a news release from the Police Department.
Yurick, a 19-year veteran of the department currently assigned to the Intelligence Unit, is on administrative leave with pay during the investigation. He was promoted to sergeant in 2008.
Edwards declined to say whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Coventry Crossing, where the accident happened, is a popular residential development for police, firefighters and other government employees, earning it the nickname “Copland.”
Beitzel, promoted to lieutenant last December, was honored in June 2015 as the Philip G. Barnes “Officer of the Year” at the Optimist International luncheon. She was nominated by her peers, who noted how she led the charge to change the city of Akron’s animal cruelty ordinance. She also was named a “Top Cop” in 2011 by the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.
“Kris has been a dedicated public servant for over 21 years with the Akron Police Department,” said Brian Pierce, Beitzel’s attorney. “Kris has an unblemished record. We are actively addressing these allegations and working toward a resolution.”
Frank Williams, the Akron police union president, said Yurick’s colleagues are concerned about the well-being of him and his wife.
“It’s just unfortunate that anyone was injured,” Williams said.
Williams said both Yurick and Beitzel are great officers in “unfortunate circumstances.”
“I am confident the investigations will show they are good officers and that situations happen,” Williams said.
The Akron police union contract has a progressive disciplinary system in which officers are disciplined more severely on repeat offenses and depending on the seriousness of the offense.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.