'Knock you off your feet': Ohio police chief fired for refusing to take a drug test after mayor smells marijuana in his office

A police chief in Ohio has lost his job for refusing to take a drug test after the mayor claimed that she smelled marijuana emanating from his office, according to WXIX. The mayor said the odor was so strong that it would "knock you off your feet."

After the issue was brought up, the New Miami Village Council unanimously voted to relieve Chief Harold Webb of his duties on June 27. However, the spat that led to Webb's termination started on June 20, when Mayor Jewell Hayes-Hensley showed up at the police chief's office, along with a council member, to collect Webb's daily logs.

In a letter, the mayor wrote that "the first thing that came out of my mouth was who has been smoking weed in here," adding that "the smell of marijuana could knock you off your feet."

Before Webb was ultimately terminated, an attorney for the village delivered a letter to his home on June 24. The letter stated that he had until 5:00 p.m. the following day to take a drug test or face disciplinary action, according to the New York Post. Webb reportedly made his way down to the testing site on June 25 but later refused to provide a urine sample in front of a nurse as a witness. Webb said the entire situation was "belittling."

Consequently, Webb texted Hayes-Hensley, "You know what you win. This is the third time you have questioned my integrity." He went on to say that he would provide his resignation letter to her that same evening.

Despite not taking the drug test, Webb insisted that the smell of marijuana was due to more than 850 grams of marijuana flower the department had seized during a raid earlier this year. However, his explanation did not seem to convince those it needed to.

Hayes-Hensley said, "Sorry things didn't work out."

“Please turn in all your New Miami Village properties along with your resignation and leave all access to video cameras [and] computers turned over to me," she added.

Leading up to the marijuana accusations, Webb had been accused of a slew of other violations. Hayes-Hensley accused Webb of stealing hot dogs from a gas station when only free soda was allowed on duty. She also accused Webb of refusing to respond to 911 calls, "theft of office," falsifying timesheets and daily logs, and cashing paychecks without showing proof that he was at work, according to the Post.

Following Webb's dismissal, Hayes-Hensley wrote that it was her duty "to ensure the residents of our community are safe."

“Council and I are working very hard to have a greater police presence in our village and do a major cleanup both with crime and housing. It is time that residents of the village of New Miami know they have a mayor and council working to put the community’s needs first and do everything within their power to make the village of New Miami a safe, clean, and thriving community.”

New Miami Village has a population of around 2,200 residents.

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