Cleveland Police

Lt. Michael Butler, a 24-year veteran of the Cleveland police department, will be promoted to captain on Monday. Butler was suspended for 30 days in 2014.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Police on Monday will promote 19 officers across all ranks, including a veteran lieutenant who was suspended in 2014 for 30 days without pay, according to records.

Lt. Michael Butler, a 24-year department veteran, will be promoted to captain Monday at a ceremony in Mayor Frank Jackson's Red Room at Cleveland City Hall.

Butler was hired in 1992 and was promoted to sergeant six years later. He has been lieutenant since 2009, and has worked in three of the city's police districts. He also oversaw the property room, and the Cleveland Police Foundation gave him an award in 2015 for outstanding community service.

Butler has taken on responsibilities in the last year, including playing a prominent role alongside the department's deputy chiefs at demonstrations during the Republican National Convention, and prepared the review of the department's equipment and deployment resources as part of police reforms.

Records also show that Butler was suspended in January 2014 after he was brought up on internal charges that accused him of lying to prosecutors to get a search warrant, not telling the department's bomb squad and hazmat response team of a potential risk during a drug investigation and for failing to secure evidence.

The charge of lying to prosecutors was dismissed in an October 2013 disciplinary hearing with then-Chief Michael McGrath, according to a divisional notice released by the department in 2014. But McGrath handed down a 30-day suspension without pay to the lieutenant after he was found guilty of the other charges.

Cleveland.com requested a copy of Butler's personnel file Friday morning for more information on the incidents, as well as any other awards Butler may have received throughout his career.

The city had not acknowledged the request as of 5 p.m. Friday.

Butler was the lieutenant in the Third District in January 2011, when inmate Jalil Anderson was involved in an encounter with patrolmen Martin Lentz which later led to assault on a peace officer and resisting arrest charges.

Butler signed off on a sergeant's investigation that found Lentz's use of non deadly force to take down Anderson was justified.

Prosecutors had to drop the assault charge against Anderson after a police lieutenant said that jail video showing the encounter didn't exist, The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. reported. Police officials were able to unearth the video after the newspaper started reporting.

The video showed discrepancies in Lentz's story, but a probe by county prosecutors ended with no charges being filed.

Butler was reassigned from the property room in May 2011 to the Fifth District, where he still serves, the city said.

Brian Betley, president of the Fraternal Order Police Lode 8 that represents police supervisors, praised Butler's career and said he should have been promoted earlier.

Butler did not fight his 30-day suspension in 2014, Betley said. He owned up to his mistakes, and should not be penalized because of past mistakes for which he has taken responsibility, Betley said.

"I truly believe he's paid his penalty," Betley said.