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Franklin mayor clashes with Springboro police; cited for driving on the sidewalk

Franklin Mayor Carl Bray accused Springboro police of being overzealous in citing him for driving a motorcycle on the sidewalk around a crash scene in Springboro on Wednesday, Sept. 1.

File photo Franklin Mayor Carl Bray accused Springboro police of being overzealous in citing him for driving a motorcycle on the sidewalk around a crash scene in Springboro on Wednesday, Sept. 1.

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By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer Updated 11:27 AM Saturday, September 4, 2010

SPRINGBORO — Franklin Mayor Carl Bray accused Springboro police of being overzealous in citing him for driving his motorcycle on the sidewalk around a crash scene in Springboro on Wednesday, Sept. 1.

Officer Dustin Christian pulled his Taser after calling for back-up after Bray became verbally abusive and threatened him while objecting to receiving a traffic ticket, according police reports.

“No wonder nobody comes to this town. You’re a punk cop. I’m the Mayor of Franklin. I’m going to call your city manager,” Bray said, according to the officer’s statement.

On Friday, Bray said he learned on Thursday from Franklin’s city manager that Christian pulled a Taser, rather than a gun.

However, cruiser video audio indicates Bray learned at the scene Wednesday that Christian had actually pulled out his Taser. Bray also can be heard cursing and threatening to call the Springboro city manager.

Bray complained to Springboro City Council during a regular meeting Thursday, about the decision to ticket him.

“There was no danger. There was no harm,” he said.

Bray said he realized he broke the law when he drove his 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle up on the sidewalk to avoid a crash scene under investigation near Bayberry Drive and Park Lane at 3:48 p.m., Wednesday. He was returning to his mother’s home with a flyswatter he had purchased.

Bray suggested, however, the officer could have used his discretion by allowing him to leave with a warning.

According to the report, Christian was writing the citation when he climbed out of his cruiser in response to Bray’s comments. Christian said he pulled out his Taser while waiting for back-up to arrive.

“I did not feel comfortable to go hands on with Mr. Bray in order to gain compliance due to the major size difference,” Christian said in the report.

Bray, while talking on a cell phone, mistook the Taser for a gun, according to the report.

Once the other officer arrived, Bray was issued the citation while sitting on a curb and allowed to leave.

Watch the video from the second cruiser:

Within minutes, Bray was at City Hall, according to reports.

“I was completing paperwork on the computer at the end of my shift when I suddenly heard a loud noise and turned toward the reception window and a white male subject was standing there in an obvious very agitated state and was screaming at the top of his lungs that he wanted to seek the chief of police and that an officer had just pulled a gun on him,” Customer Service Manager Melody Meredith said in a statement.

Bray then met Springboro police administrators before leaving City Hall.

“As the subject was leaving the City Building he continued to scream things and as he approached the doors to leave the building he turned around and yelled he would be at the next council meeting,” Meredith said.

After Bray’s statement Thursday, Springboro Mayor John Agenbroad thanked Bray for making his comments.

On Friday, Agenbroad said Bray “was treated the same as anybody else.”

Bray acknowledged on Friday that during the incident he said he was the Franklin mayor and would call the city manger to complain.

“I didn’t think they ought to treat any citizen like that,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.