Avon Mayor: Police Acted Correctly in Arrest of Ridgeville Chief’s Wife

UPDATED NOV. 27, 4 p.m. (see bold)

Avon Mayor Jim Smith issued a few brief comments regarding how his police department handled a situation involving the wife of North Ridgeville Police Chief Mike Freeman.

Elaine Freeman, 41, was accused of shoplifting food and other personal items from Target at the Avon Commons on Detroit Road just after noon on Nov. 19.  Freeman was with her 2-year-old son at the time and Avon police handcuffed Freeman and placed her and her son in a holding cell, according to Newsnet5.

Fox 8 News reported Mike Freeman “was upset that his wife and child were in booking.”

Smith said his officers did what “should have been done” when discussing the issue at the Nov. 26 Avon City Council meeting.

““This basically is the end of it,” Smith said.  “There were some questions about some things.”

Chief Freeman told Fox 8 he was not upset over his wife’s arrest but how she and their son were treated.

Smith, noting that the incident was heavily covered by local media, including television stations noted, “It was kind of hectic for a couple of days.”  

Freeman was charged with petty theft, a first-degree misdemeanor, in Avon Lake Municipal Court on Nov. 21. On Nov. 27 she pleaded not guilty. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18.