The Richfield fire chief has been placed on unpaid administrative leave after being charged with drunken driving.
Jason M. Mihalek, 41, was stopped at 2:05 a.m. Oct. 23 on Hampton Drive in Kent while driving a Ford pickup truck.
Mihalek, who has been chief since June 2013, refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test, according to the ticket, which also noted that he had no prior OVI offenses.
A pretrial hearing has been scheduled Nov. 28 in Kent Municipal Court.
“Any incident concerning an allegation of impaired driving is very serious,” Richfield Mayor Bobbie Beshara said in a prepared statement. “Richfield Village Fire Department Chief Jason Mihalek has said he is innocent of the allegation.
“We will monitor developments as the legal process unfolds. In keeping with Richfield’s policies and procedures, Chief Mihalek has been placed on administrative leave. As this is a legal and personnel matter, we will have no further comment.”
Attorney Michael Callahan, who is representing Mihalek, said, “We’re looking forward to defending the case.”
WJW (Channel 8) in Cleveland released video of the arrest and Mihalek in the booking room. Watch the video here.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .