An Ohio cop who threatened his daughter’s boyfriend with jail after pulling him over for a traffic stop was fired for abusing his authority.
John Kovach Jr., a 26-year veteran with the Lorain Police Department, violated the department’s standards of conduct and policy during the April 16 episode, an internal investigation found. He faces review from the county prosecutor for further action following his May 11 firing, the Chronicle-Telegram reported. The firing is being appealed by the police department’s union.
Kovach temporarily detained Makai Coleman, 18, and daughter Katlyn Kovach, also 18, in the back of his patrol car without due cause, according to the investigation.
He did not alert dispatch before stopping the car, the Chronicle-Telegram reported, and did not respond to a road rage incident call from dispatch that came in during the incident.
Dashcam footage from Kovach’s patrol car shows him telling Coleman he’s “going to jail.” When Coleman asks why, the officer says, “We’ll make (expletive) up as we go,” after telling him to get in the back of the car.
The video then shows Kovach getting into a dispute with Gloria Morales, whose two children also were in the car. Kovach claims his daughter’s computer was in Morales’ house, which was nearby. He is heard saying he will give Morales’ daughter a $300 ticket because she was not wearing a seatbelt.
The officer reportedly didn’t know his daughter was in the car but told her to get out when he saw her. She can be heard yelling at her father for intimidating her and Coleman and detaining them, saying, “You have to give me a reason by law. Daddy, why are you pushing me? Why are you (expletive) pushing me? Why are you doing this?”
Kovach later told investigators he didn’t approve of his daughter’s relationship with Coleman. Investigators also claim he lied about the traffic stop to his supervisors.
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