CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland police officer could lose his job amid allegations that he used steroids in violation of city policy. Safety Director Martin Flask said Officer Aaron Reese was placed on restricted duty Tuesday. He is accused of violating the city's policy against using illegal drugs.

Flask said Tuesday's action was the result of an internal police investigation and that a full hearing to decide whether Reese will be fired will take place in mid-March.

Cleveland Police Patrolman's Association First Vice President Jeffery Follmer said the union is challenging whether the city's test can be positively linked to steroid use.

Follmer said elevated levels of testosterone found in Reese's system could have been caused by some over-the-counter supplements. He said the union will consult with doctors who can evaluate the test results. A former Ohio Department of Liquor Control agent, Reese graduated from the police academy in 2009. He was among a group of officers who were laid off and then returned to work in the past few months.

Flask said Reese, a new officer, was still on probation with the department.

Reese could not be reached.

As a liquor control agent, Reese worked in Northeast Ohio, often alongside police officers. He was responsible for citing bars that served underage drinkers and also assisted in gambling raids.

In 2008, Reese helped city lawyers build a case to shut down a rowdy West Sixth Street bar after one person was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting near the club hours after the July Fourth fireworks. Three of the four people shot were younger than 21. Owners of the Spy Bar said the bar was targeted by authorities because the majority of its customers were black.

Flask said he will hear all of the evidence and make a decision about whether to relieve Reese of his duties.

"You put a lot of time and effort into employees so you hate to lose someone early on," Flask said. But he said it was better than having a problem officer 10 or 15 years into their career.