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A police chief in Ohio has been canned after declining to take a drug test spurred by what was alleged to be the strong smell of marijuana inside the department’s headquarters.
Per a report from regional outlet WXIX-TV, New Miami Mayor Jewel Hensley said in a five-page document focused on various allegations against Chief Harold Webb that she had noticed the distinct scent when visiting the New Miami Police Department last month. At the time, according to Hensley, she and a local council member were on site as part of a then-ongoing effort to retrieve daily logs in connection with what the mayor had claimed were falsified timesheets.
"The first thing that came out of my mouth was, who has been smoking weed in here?" Hensley said. "The smell of marijuana could knock you off your feet."
Hensley added that this scent had not been noticed during a visit to the department earlier that same day. Shortly after noticing the alleged weed smell, Hensley came across Webb and a friend in the garage area of the facility, prompting further suspicion. Webb, meanwhile, later said the smell in question was caused by the department's seizure of a substantial amount of weed earlier this year.
From there, Webb was directly notified of a required drug test, with the caveat that the urination part of the process be done under the watch of a designated witness. While Webb did show up for the test, he ultimately refused to partake due to the witness requirement. Shortly after, Webb is said to have sent Hensley a text informing officials of his intention to resign, though he later backtracked and asked if he could retire instead.
Late last month, the New Miami Village Council voted to fire Webb, who had been embroiled in a feud with Hensley for some time.
