LORDSTOWN, Ohio - A longtime Lordstown police officer has retired rather than face possible termination over threatening remarks he made about the chief and a captain, along with an attempt to use false information to coerce an admission of wrongdoing from one of his superiors.

Richard Watson submitted a brief letter of retirement on Monday, December 8, after learning the mayor and police chief had recommended that council fire him.

Watson, who worked in Valley law enforcement since 1990 and had been with Lordstown since 2007, was one of the primary accusers who made allegations of bribery within the department over an alleged policy to not serve warrants at the Ultium Cells plant in exchange for officers receiving higher-than-average wages to work security at the plant.

Those allegati

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