Reckless behavior refers to a heedless indifference to consequences; negligence refers to the breach of duty of care, according to Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser.
FOX19 reported Patterson allegedly allowed a handcuffed teen to be whipped with a belt by his step-grandfather after responding to a domestic incident.
Gmoser told the Journal-News he did not authorize the release of that information and declined to confirm whether the information reported by FOX19 was accurate or comment further on the details of the investigation.
Patterson’s case was presented to a Butler County grand jury, who declined to indict on the two charges. The case will be returned back to Middletown Municipal Court for legal proceedings.
Second-degree misdemeanors carry a maximum jail sentence of 90 days, according to Ohio Revised Code.
Middletown Police Chief Earl Nelson referred all questions to a city spokesman, who provided this statement:
“The city of Middletown is aware of the incident involving a Middletown police officer. However, the city does not comment on pending legal or personnel matters.”
Patterson is on paid administrative leave, the city spokesman confirmed.
Patterson joined Middletown police department in 2021 due to the murder of George Floyd, according to Journal-News reporting at the time. She told Journal-News she wanted to change the public’s perception of policing, which she said gets a “bad rap.”
She is a 2010 Middletown High School graduate and graduated top of her class from the Butler Tech police academy.
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