10132004 - Officer Brian Klonowski - Suspended - Southgate PD

Officer Brian Klonowski - Conviction for OIDV [2004]:
04252004 - Officer Brian Klonowski - Southgate PD - Arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault - Assaulted Gina Falconer - Klonowski yanked Gina out of her chair; threw Gina to the ground; restrained Gina by sitting on top of her; punched Gina in the face. It took FOUR people to pull Officer Klonowski off of Gina - who suffered a hemorrhage to her eye, a broken nose, and a broken bone abover her eye.


08082004 - Officer Brain Klonowski - Sentenced - Southgate PD - Klonowski pleaded no-contenst to an assault charge. Klonowski was placed on probation for 18 months


10132004 - Officer Brian Klonowski - Suspended from Southgate PD for 1 year. HOWEVER, in December 2004, it was discovered that since Officer Klonowski arrest for assault, he had been working in the 28th District Court.

08172016 - Officer Brian Klonowski - Appointed Police Chief Despite OIDV Conviction in 2004 - Southgate PD

09072016 - Officer Brian Klonowski - Will NOT Be Southgate PD's new police chief, due to public outrage over Klonowski's 2004 assault of Gina Falconer

On April 24, 2004, Officer Brian Klonowski yanked Gina out of her chair by her shirt....Threw her to the ground....Restrained her by sitting on top of her, and began punching her in the face....It took four people to get Officer Klonowski off of Gina...She suffered a  hemorrhage to her eye, a  broken nose and a broken bone above her eye.

On August 5, 2004, Officer Brian Klonowski pleaded no-contest to an assault charge. Klonowski was placed on probation for eighteen months.

On October 13, 2004, following his conviction, Officer Brian Klonowski was suspended from the police department for a year. 

Suspended officer working in court
By Andrea Blum
The News-Herald
December 22, 2004
http://www.thenewsherald.com/stories/122204/loc_20041222006.shtml

SOUTHGATE — A police officer serving a year's suspension from the department now has a new job at 28th District Court.

Officer Brian Klonowski, 32, who was suspended without pay in October for being convicted in an assault case, has been working in the court's drug screening department for several months.

Klonowski was arrested April 25 for punching Gina Falconer of Dearborn Heights while off duty at a party in Romulus.

According to police, Klonowski had been bothering Falconer at the party and attacked her after she threatened to hit him with a beer bottle.

He pleaded no contest to an assault charge and was sentenced to 18 months probation by 34th District Judge Brian Oakley on Aug. 5.

Klonowski also must serve 30 days on the court's work program, 60 days on a tether program and complete anger-management and alcohol counseling.

In addition, he is responsible for $2,000 in fines and court costs.

Police Chief Larry Hall said he was shocked when he learned of Klonowski's new job last week.

"You betray the public trust when you break the law, and you have to earn that back," Hall said. "One of the typical ways to do that is to be punished."

Hall said he doesn't believe it is appropriate for Klonowski to be screening people for alcohol and drug use when he was found to be drinking at the party. "It sends a mixed message as to what we try to do with officers who've done wrong," Hall said.

Court Administrator Maria Nevalo hired Klonowski in November and said the incident in Romulus had nothing to do with the decision. "This was not even a case that went through this court," Nevalo said.

She said having Klonowski working as a drug screener has benefited the court.

"It's been a hugely positive thing," she said. "He's gotten a good reception from the defendants."

Judge James Kandrevas declined to comment on the matter, citing an unrelated lawsuit he has against Hall.

City Administrator George Mans said the court is responsible for its own hiring practices.

"The city and court are two different entities," Mans said. "He's paying his debt to society by serving probation, but he's also trying to make a living."











Officer suspended after assault
By Andrea Blum
The News-Herald
PUBLISHED: October 13, 2004
http://www.thenewsherald.com/stories/101304/loc_20041013007.shtml

SOUTHGATE — The Police Department will have one less officer for the next year.

Officer Brian Klonowski was suspended for a year after pleading no contest to an assault charge.

He was arrested April 25 for punching a Dearborn Heights woman while off-duty at a party in Romulus.

Gina Falconer suffered a broken nose and a broken bone above her eye.

According to police, Klonowski punched Falconer after she threatened to hit him with a beer bottle.

He has been with the department for eight years and works as a patrolman.

After the incident, he was reassigned to desk duty and required to turn in his badge and gun.

Klonowski, 32, was charged with a misdemeanor count of aggravated assault.

He appeared before Judge Brian Oakley in 34th District Court on Aug. 5 and was sentenced to 18 months probation.

Klonowski also must serve 30 days on the court's work program, 60 days on a tether program and complete anger management and alcohol counseling.

In addition, he is responsible for $2,000 in fines and court costs.

The charge carried a maximum sentence of a year in jail and/or a $500 fine.

As a result, Klonowski also was suspended for a year beginning today without pay from the department.

"He will have no police powers and no authority to carry a handgun," Police Chief Larry Hall said. He added that Klonowski must successfully satisfy all conditions of his probation before being allowed back on the force. "Failure to do so will result in his termination," Hall said.

"I believe in holding police officers to the highest of standards.

"When an officer does something to discredit this department and the city, they are going to be dealt with in a very strict manner."

Upon returning to the force, he will be on probation for another year.

Both the union and Klonowski agreed to the terms of the suspension.












Officer's hearing delayed until June
Published: Sunday, May 23, 2004
Andrea Blum
The News-Herald
http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2004/05/23/police/20040523-archive7.txt

ROMULUS -- A Southgate police officer's day in court was pushed back a little further.

Officer Brian Klonowski is charged with aggravated assault for allegedly hitting a woman while he was off duty at a party.

His pretrial hearing was adjourned May 13 before Judge Brian Oakley in 34th District Court and rescheduled for June 3.

Klonowski, 32, faces a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault, which carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Romulus police arrested him April 25 after a Dearborn Heights woman said he punched her in the face at the party.

According to police, he allegedly struck the woman after she threatened to hit him with a beer bottle.

No weapons were involved in the incident but police said alcohol did play a role.

Klonowski has been with the department for eight years as a patrolman.

He was reassigned to desk duty until the case is resolved.









Officer held after weekend assault
Published: Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Andrea Blum
The News-Herald
http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2004/04/28/localnews/20040428-archive6.txt

SOUTHGATE -- An off-duty police officer was charged Monday with assault for allegedly punching a woman at a weekend party.

Brian Klonowski, 32, faces a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault, which carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail and/or a $500 fine.

Romulus police arrested him early Sunday after Gina Falconer, 24, of Dearborn Heights said he punched her in the face at the party.

She suffered a broken nose and a broken bone above her eye as a result of the altercation.

She was treated at Heritage Hospital in Taylor and released.

According to police, Klonowski allegedly punched Falconer after she threatened to hit him with a beer bottle.

"He said he acted out of fear that he would be struck by her with the bottle, but that is an issue of great contention by witnesses," Police Chief Larry Hall said.

Klonowski was arraigned Monday before Judge Brian Oakley in 34th District Court and released on a personal bond.

He is due back in court May 13.

Klonowski, who is single, has been with the department for eight years and works as a patrolman.

He has been reassigned to desk duty pending the outcome of the case, according to Hall, and he turned in his badge and gun.

"It's always disappointing when something like this happens," Hall said, "but we have to put the best interests of the community first."

When the case is resolved, Hall will decide on possible further discipline. He added that Klonowski hasn't faced criminal charges before.

No weapons were involved and alcohol was a factor in the incident, police said.

10012004 - Officer David Gronin - Southgate PD

Also See:

Officer David Gronin convicted of domestic violence

http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2003/03/officer-david-grondin-southgate-police.html

    Woman files a lawsuit against cop, city
Published: Sunday, August 14, 2005
By Andrea Blum
The News-Herald
http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2005/08/14/localnews/20050814-archive1.txt

SOUTHGATE — A lawsuit alleging a civil rights violation has been filed against the city by a woman accusing a police officer of brutality.

It is the second lawsuit against a police officer in less than a year.

The federal lawsuit charges Officer David Grondin with violating the civil rights of Christine Branum during an Oct. 1, 2004, visit police made to her house in the 14100 block of Fordline.

Grondin and two other officers responded to a domestic dispute call at the house.

The argument had ended when police arrived, but Grondin forced his way into the house to speak to Branum's boyfriend, according to the lawsuit.

It claims that Grondin grabbed the woman by the neck, kicked her and beat her while using abusive and vulgar language.

Branum is accusing Grondin of violating her Fourth Amendment rights and seeks at least $75,000 in damages.

The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against "unreasonable search and seizure."

No arrests were made in the incident.

No charges were filed against Grondin after an investigation by the Michigan State Police and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office found insufficient evidence.

Grondin had been fired from the department in March 2003 for several reasons, including insubordination and a 2002 domestic assault charge involving his ex-wife and another man.

He returned to the force in November 2003 after winning an arbitration dispute with the city and was on probation in that case when the October incident took place.

Police Chief Larry Hall recommended firing Grondin, but Mayor Dennis David suspended him for five days.

"If you don't address these matters, they will come back," Hall said.

David said the issue being brought up is pure politics because he's running for re-election against the police chief's wife, Suzanne Hall.

"This has been going on since the day I took office," David said.

David beat incumbent Suzanne Hall two years ago in her re-election bid for the mayor's post.

The police chief dismisses the political aspect, saying that it's a matter of Dennis undermining his authority.

"I don't feel like I have any backing from City Hall," Hall said.

This isn't the first time the mayor and police chief have clashed over disciplining an officer.

The two butted heads earlier this year over the punishment for Patrolman Brian Klonowski, who pleaded guilty to punching a woman at a party last year in Romulus.

In that case, a Dearborn Heights woman is suing Klonowski, not the city, because he was off duty when the incident occurred.

Klonowski was serving a one-year suspension when David reduced the penalty to 90 days, saying that was the deal originally offered. Hall disagreed.

"My ability to discipline has been totally eroded," Hall said. "Everything I try to do is subject to being overridden by the mayor."

David, a former police officer, said he isn't backing down from his decisions.

"The actions I've taken for this and any other incident, I stand by," he said.

David doesn't agree with those who say Grondin doesn't belong on the department.

"That's outrageous," David said. "Officers make mistakes. There is no other community around here that has a pristine police department.

"They just happen to have chiefs that stand by them, not take them out in public and spank them."The five-day suspension was more than what the Public Safety Commission recommended, according to David.

"They said he needed to have some kind of incident management training," David said.

"They said the police chief was the one at fault for not training that officer."

Hall counters that the commission is made up of David's appointees and can only give recommendations.

Branum's attorney, Christopher Trainor, said the city should be held responsible for its actions.

"What the mayor and city commission did speaks for itself," Trainor said. "This guy shouldn't be on the force anymore."

He rebuked the claim that the lawsuit was brought to light for political reasons.

"That's ridiculous," he said. "This has nothing to do with any election.

"I know that information I have indicates that this guy is a bad cop."

City Attorney Jack Timmony said Branum's claims are simply allegations right now.

"There's been no finding of liability," he said. "That will be determined in court."











Officer reinstated to job
Published: Wednesday, November 12, 2003
By Andrea Blum, The News-Herald
http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2003/11/12/localnews/20031112-archive5.txt

SOUTHGATE -- A former police officer is back on the force.

David Grondin resumed his duties as a police officer after winning an arbitration dispute with the city.

He was fired from the department March 27 after working there for three years.

Grondin was let go for insubordination stemming from several department issues, in addition to a domestic assault involving his ex-wife and another man, police said.

The union asked to take the matter to arbitration. The three-day hearing wrapped up Friday, with Grondin getting his job back on a probationary period.

"It was a negotiated settlement between the union and the city," Police Chief Larry Hall said. "He has been reassigned to a shift and is returning to work."

Grondin maintained that he was fired unfairly and fought to return to his job.

"I'm happy to be back and to be given a second chance," he said.

The settlement reinstates Grondin without any back pay or back benefits. It also places him on probation for another year.

"With the grievant wanting to come back to work in the city, it was decided that a year off without pay was a significant sanction," City Attorney Wallace Long said.

"The city is agreeing to go forward on this trial basis with him being on probation."

Arbitrator Mario Chiesa helped the two sides negotiate.

"Discussions ranged all over the place as to what had occurred," Long added.

"It's fair to say that after a long and healthy airing of all the issues surrounding his conduct, both parties thought it was in the best interest to resolve it in this fashion."