Veteran police officer charged
By Jeff Gallatin
Bay Village
Published June 20, 2007

Sgt. Warren Nyerges

A nearly 20-year veteran of the Bay Village police force has been placed on indefinite paid administrative leave after being charged in Rocky River with domestic violence and having a prohibited animal – a four to five foot alligator, officials said.

Sgt. Warren Nyerges, a patrol shift supervisor and former DARE officer, is out on $2,500 bond on charges which Rocky River officials said stem from a June 6 incident with his wife at their Rocky River home. He had been on sick leave for several weeks prior to the incident, Bay Village officials said. If convicted of domestic violence, he would be prohibited from carrying a gun and unable to continue as a police officer, officials said. Municipal court records show that as a condition of release, Nyerges must submit to a drug test for steroid use and may not take steroids unless prescribed, take only prescribed medications, continue current medical treatments, agree to a limited release of some medical information, to not be in Bay Village or have contact with city employees with the exception of one auxiliary police officer, waive ownership rights to the alligator and follow all the terms of a temporary protection order.

The case has been referred to the municipal court system administrative judge for reassignment to another judge after the Rocky River Municipal Court judges Donna Congeni Fitzsimmons and Maureen Adler Gravens recused themselves because both have worked with Nyerges on different community projects and wanted to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Bay Village is one of five cities in Rocky River Municipal Court’s jurisdiction.

City officials acknowledged there have been some problems with Nyerges over the last two years but said they were limited in what they could discuss because of medical and legal reasons. His personnel file with the city showed several incidents where the department and city officials had looked into reports of problems with citizens or his job responsibilities in the last two years and discussed them with Nyerges while also trying to take action.

“We’ve been watching him,” said Mayor Debbie Sutherland. “There’s been several incidents which caused us concern involving the officer.”

Police Chief David Wright, who has headed the department for nearly 12 years, said the department has tried to do its duty and protect people while also trying to deal with and help Nyerges.

“There appears to have been erratic behavior both in his professional and personal life,” Wright said. “Our first responsibility is to protect citizens and the public out in the community. Then we have a responsibility to the people someone works with both in the department and the city and we also have one to try and help the person himself when there appears to be a problem. We have tried to address this with the officer.”

The paid administrative leave is standard practice while the matter is investigated, Bay officials said.

An unfair labor practices complaint filed by Nyerges’ was dismissed by the state last week.

Nyerges attorney, Gary Seewald, said they are looking into various options on how to handle Nyerges’ case, but declined to go into greater detail now because of the pending nature of Nyerges’ case.

Seewald, who served as one of Nyerges’ references when he applied to the Bay Village police force, said he’s known his family for years.

“They’re all fine people, including Warren,” Nyerges said.

In the Rocky River charges, department records indicate they were called to the home at 9:06 p.m. June 6. Officials said they were aware it was Nyerges’ residence, because they had been called to the home several months prior to that because of a complaint about the alligator. No injuries had been reported, but someone had complained about him having a dangerous animal, the officials said.

“We had told him to get rid of the alligator after we learned of it,” Wright said.

When River officers checked the home several months ago, they did not find the alligator, they said.

This time, officials said when officers arrived, they met Nyerges’ distraught wife outside saying he was threatening bodily harm to himself, her and her dogs after the couple had argued. The officials said Nyerges was found inside, where he appeared upset and talked with officers about his health problems but did not pose any physical threat to them. Officials said after talking he eventually agreed to go to Lakewood Hospital.

Officials said while checking the house, they found the alligator in a pet cage in the garage. They also said they found and confiscated more than 40 guns and knives along with ammunition. The officials said they were trying to find a home at an animal refuge or a similar facility for the alligator.