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Canton Officer Fired for Profanity Laden Arrests
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By Dan Jovic | dan.jovic@fox8.com
Fox8.com Reporter
12:49 p.m. EST, January 11, 2012
CANTON, Ohio— The Canton Police officer who delivered two profanity-laden outbursts caught on tape by his on-board dash camera has been let go from the force.
Canton Police Chief Dean McKimm tells Fox 8 News that officer Daniel Harless is no longer employed with the city's police force.
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According to Chief McKimm the decision to fire Harless came from the city's safety director, Thomas Ream, who issued a ruling on Harless' employment on Tuesday. The ruling came following an internal affairs investigation and disciplinary hearing. The hearing was held on December 15, 2011.
Ream stated in the ruling, "Drawing from my own background in law enforcement, I find that Ptl. Harless' actions were not a one-time breakdown of professionalism and training standards."
He went on to say, "It is quite clear that his actions represent a pattern of behavior where inappropriate verbal abuse and threat of death and great bodily harm of the various complainants occurred. This escalating pattern of potentially dangerous behavior cannot be justified or excused and clearly illustrated the seriousness of the departmental infractions."
Harless had come under fire for an arrest in June of 2011 where William Bartlett of Brewster, Ohio, was pulled over by Harless.
Bartlett, 52, was driving near the intersection of Tuscarawas and Newton Streets at 1:30 a.m. when he was stopped by officers.
An on-board dash camera recording of the incident captured Bartlett trying to tell Harless that he had a concealed carry weapon, but Harless interrupted Bartlett demanding he tell officers why he was in the area.
After being asked out of his vehicle by officers, Bartlett told Harless he was legally carrying a gun. What happened next was at the center of the safety director's investigation.
Harless was recorded launching into an immediate, angry, profanity-filled outburst, during which Bartlett was called a "stupid idiot" and "a dummy."
In November of last year, charges filed against Bartlett related to the incident where dismissed by Canton Municipal Judge Stephen Belden.
A second dash camera recording of a confrontation in July of 2011 involving Harless was provided to Fox 8 News after the first video surfaced.
In the July incident, the video shows Harless pulling over a pickup truck about 2:30 a.m. that was driven by James Adkins, 29, of Massillon.