Girard PD: October 21 parking-lot call (26 E. Wilson Ave.)
We asked Girard Police for everything on an October 21 call at 26 E. Wilson Ave. They sent the report, call log and dispatch audio within days.
The issue
We got a tip about a man yelling at a woman in a Girard parking lot on the afternoon of October 21, 2026. Instead of repeating the tip, we asked for the police records.
What we asked for
- Sent: October 22, 2026, to Girard Police, under Ohio's Public Records Act (R.C. 149.43).
- The 6 items: the incident report and officer narratives; the CAD/dispatch log and call audio; body and dash camera video; names and badge numbers of the responding officers; any citations, charges or warnings; and two years of calls for service at 26 E. Wilson Ave. and 35 S. State St.
What we got
| Date (2026) | From | What |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 23 | Police Clerk Jennie Weiss | Incident report #202604760, CAD call report 26-09884, and the names and badge numbers of the three responding officers |
| Oct 26 | Chief John Freeman | One dispatch call recording; a body-camera estimate (about 10 minutes, $10 prepaid); a statement that the department has no dash cameras; the department's records-release rules |
What's missing: We didn't buy the body-camera video. The two-year call history for the two addresses wasn't addressed.
What we found
1. The call. CAD call 26-09884 came in by telephone at 2:22 PM on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, coded "VERBAL DISPUTE," at 26 E. Wilson Ave. (listed as Dr. Paul Bertalasio DDS). The dispatcher's note: "CHECK PARKING LOT FOR WHITE MALE WEARING BLACK SWEATSHIRT WITH AMERICAN FLAG. MALE IS YELLING OBSCENITIES AT FEMLAE WHO PARKED IN A HANDICAPPED PARKING SPOT." (CAD call report; incident report)
2. What the officer wrote. Sgt. Steve Lewis (unit 310) arrived at 2:24 PM. According to his narrative, the man "was upset that a woman was parking in a lot reserved for his organization," and "was belligerent, loud, and using profanity directed at the female." He "was warned that if he didn't stop he would be arrested for disorderly conduct and settled down." "All parties were advised regarding the parking complaint and no further action was requested." Body camera was activated. (Incident report #202604760)
3. How it ended. The call log shows units 303, 310 and 323 on scene, cleared by 2:34 PM. Disposition: "REPORT TAKEN." The records show no arrest, no charge and no citation. (CAD call report)
4. The officers. Capt. Josh Merrill #5173 (unit 303), Sgt. Steve Lewis #9416 (unit 310) and Officer Robert Williams #6261 (unit 323). (Clerk's Oct 23 email)
What's next
- Was the woman parked in a handicapped spot, or in a lot reserved for an organization? The dispatcher's note says handicapped spot. The officer's narrative says a lot "reserved for his organization." The records don't settle it.
- Who reserves that lot, and is it marked? The report doesn't say.
Our opinion: Girard Police answered fast and in writing, which is how this is supposed to work. The man named in the report wasn't charged with anything, so we're not naming him here. The report itself is posted below as the department released it.
Follow-ups
- None planned. The request is closed.
Documents
These are the records as the agencies released them. We blacked out only information that could identify a minor, our own personal contact details, and adult Social Security numbers. Any other black boxes were put there by the agency.
