Security camera footage from the night Richfield Fire Chief Jason Mihalek was arrested in Kent last month shows the chief repeatedly telling police he was innocent of charges that he drove while drunk.
Police stopped Mihalek on Hampton Drive shortly after 2 a.m. on Oct. 23. In the video, he said he was going to meet a woman and drank three beers starting at 9 p.m. Police had him perform field sobriety tests, which they determined he failed. The video shows him stumble during the tests more than once.
Mihalek, whose attorney could not be reached for comment Friday, refused a breath test and was arrested.
At the police department later that night, he’s shown on security footage repeatedly saying he wasn’t drunk and adding that he planned to call the Richfield and Kent police chiefs for their help. Police responded by showing him the phone to make calls after completing the booking process.
After he was told he was not permitted to leave the police department without someone else to drive him, he grew visibly irate.
“I’ll call the police chief of Richfield to come get me,” he said, “or the police chief of Kent to come get me.”
In the video, he described the charges against him as “crap,” “garbage” and “ridiculous.”
At one point, a police officer asked Mihalek about his schedule so he could schedule a court date.
“Do you want to go to court on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday?” the officer asked.
“How about none?” Mihalek responded. “Is that an option?”
In court that week, Mihalek pleaded not guilty to his charges. A trial has not been scheduled. He’s on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of his case.
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ and on Facebook @JournoNickGlunt .