Greenfield Mayor Files Charges to Remove Police Chief Facing Four Felonies
Greenfield's mayor has filed formal charges to remove Police Chief Jay Johnson, who faces four felonies over alleged misuse of a surveillance camera during his divorce.
Greenfield Mayor Moves to Oust Police Chief Charged with Felony Misconduct
The mayor of Greenfield, Wisconsin, has filed a formal statement of charges against the city's police chief, seeking his removal from office, wpr.org reports. Police Chief Jay Johnson is already facing four felony counts and a misdemeanor in a separate criminal case.
Mayor Michael Neitzke submitted the statement of charges to the city's Police and Fire Commission on 28 August. In a written statement, Neitzke said the city's internal investigation into Johnson "revealed significant, highly concerning actions and patterns of behaviour that we believe warranted this filing."
Neitzke added that his filing "presents only a handful of those findings, as other charges are under criminal investigation outside of the City process."
Surveillance camera at the centre of criminal case
Johnson, 59, was first charged last year with felony misconduct in office. According to a criminal complaint, he allegedly directed a captain in his department to install a department-owned surveillance camera outside his private home in Wind Lake — doing so despite being told by city officials not to. Prosecutors allege Johnson acted out of fear for his safety during divorce proceedings.
The camera was placed across the street from Johnson's driveway on 26 December 2024. Prosecutors say the move violated the department's standards of conduct, as Johnson used public resources for personal gain to "advance his divorce."
Three additional felony charges and a misdemeanor were subsequently added. Johnson now faces felony bail jumping, two felony counts related to the alleged destruction of data and evidence, and a charge of obstructing an officer. A second amended criminal complaint states that Johnson "directed a third party to contact individuals in violation of his bail conditions," and that he destroyed personal file records, remotely wiped his city-issued phone, and performed a factory reset on a second device seized under a search warrant.
An evidentiary hearing in the criminal case is scheduled for 9 November, according to online court records. Johnson has been on paid administrative leave since April 2025.
Commission accepts charges; scheduling conference to follow
Greenfield's Police and Fire Commission convened in closed session for nearly two hours on Thursday evening to review Neitzke's filing. After returning from closed session, the commission approved a motion to contact the parties involved in order to schedule a scheduling conference.
In a statement following the meeting, Neitzke confirmed the commission had accepted the charges. "This is a critical step in determining whether the City's investigation findings are sufficient to justify discipline and, if so, what discipline is appropriate," he wrote.
Neitzke acknowledged the distinction between the parallel processes: "Outside law enforcement authorities must prove the criminal allegations against Chief Johnson beyond a reasonable doubt, whereas the Mayor has a much lower evidentiary burden."
Johnson's tenure and due process
Johnson joined the Greenfield Police Department in 1992 and served as officer, lieutenant and captain before being appointed police chief by the Police and Fire Commission in 2019. Under Wisconsin state law, the Police and Fire Commission both appoints and, if warranted, disciplines the chief of police.
Neitzke noted that the process to terminate Johnson is "fully under the jurisdiction of the City's Police and Fire Commission." His statement also affirmed Johnson's right to contest the findings: "Chief Johnson is entitled to due process by rebutting the City's investigation findings at his Police and Fire Commission hearing."
The common council had authorised Neitzke on 18 August to file the statement of charges. The statement was shared with Johnson's legal counsel before being submitted to the commission. An attorney for Johnson could not be reached for comment before publication.
Eric Lindstrom is currently serving as acting police chief. He was appointed to the role when Johnson was placed on administrative leave.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)