Hannah Camille Bealer

hbealer@gannett.com

FREMONT – Two Fremont police officers resigned from their positions last week, said Fremont police Chief Tim Wiersma.

"We are happy they were both employed with the Fremont Police Department and we wish them well," Wiersma said of officers Donnale Williams and Erik Kessler.

Williams, 41, of Toledo, has been on unpaid leave since December.

In November, he was charged with one felony count of unauthorized use of the Law Enforcement Automated Database System.

He allegedly asked a dispatcher to run a woman's name through LEADS. LEADS is used to look up information on people during traffic stops and investigations, not for personal use. Separate internal and criminal investigations into the incident show Williams admitted he used the system for personal issues.

Williams, who has been employed by the department since August 2005, is scheduled to appear in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 29 for a hearing, with Judge Barbara Ansted presiding.

Kessler was hired in January and was still in his probationary period with the department. He and another officer, Bob Schultz, were involved in a June 1 crash that totaled two police cruisers when Kessler failed to yield at a stop sign and crashed into Schultz's cruiser. Schultz was issued a $105 ticket, according to Fremont Municipal Court records.

Following the crash, Kessler was performing "light duties" for the department that mostly involved clerical and dispatch work. He was prohibited from driving or carrying a weapon.

Wiersma said he was considering requesting a new Civil Service list of qualified candidates for the open positions, but they could take several months to fill.

Because Williams has been on unpaid leave and Kessler was still in his year-long probationary period, Wiersma said there would not be much effect on staffing.

hbealer@gannett.com

419-334-1035

Twitter: @hannahCBee