Grayslake trustees want complete picture before deciding on top cop
Grayslake officials say they want as much information possible — beyond just reports from the Kenosha County sheriff's office — about the weekend arrest of Police Chief Matthew McCutcheon on drunken driving-related charges before deciding his future as the village's top cop.
Village trustees and Mayor Rhett Taylor were scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting on personnel Thursday night, but it's not known if McCutcheon was the subject. Village Attorney Victor Filippini said the meeting agenda was structured in a way that prohibited trustees from taking any action after the closed session.
Village Manager Mike Ellis said Thursday McCutcheon remains Grayslake's police chief and he reported to work this week.
“He's been in and he's had one or two days off,” Ellis said, adding that an internal investigation regarding McCutcheon is ongoing.
McCutcheon, 46, of Fox Lake, was arrested about 9:45 p.m. March 30 after the car he was driving crashed into a vehicle head-on while making a turn near Silver Lake, Wis., Kenosha County authorities said. He was charged with being armed while intoxicated and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
No one was injured in the collision. McCutcheon couldn't be reached for comment.
Trustee Jeff Werfel said Thursday he's seen the Kenosha County police reports, but wants more information before deciding McCutcheon's job future.
“I think the most important thing is to get as full of an accounting and as full of a story, with all the context behind it,” Werfel said.
Trustee Kevin Waldenstrom cautioned against jumping to any conclusions about the chief.
“I'm going to wait until we get all the facts,” Waldenstrom said.
McCutcheon faces the allegations just about two months since he was named Grayslake's police chief. He joined the department as a patrol officer in 1991, worked his way to operations commander and was appointed as interim chief after Larry Herzog retired in July 2011.
In the arrest report, a Kenosha County sheriff's deputy wrote he smelled alcohol on McCutcheon while questioning him. After initially saying he had a few beers at dinner with his wife, McCutcheon told officers he had three vodka martinis at the Three Oaks Restaurant in Wilmot, Wis., according to the report.
During his encounter with the sheriff's deputies, reports state, McCutcheon informed them he was armed, raised his shirt and displayed a Kimber 9 mm handgun with one bullet in the chamber and six bullets in the magazine.
Werfel said the level of information he wants before being part of a decision on McCutcheon is the same as he'd demand for any village employee in a similar situation.
“We're talking about something pretty important here,” Werfel said. “It's a guy's career.”