The Rushville Board of Public Works and Safety met in special session Wednesday evening in Council Chambers, 270 West 15th Street. The purpose of the meeting was to address a personnel matter at the Rushville Police Department concerning officer Chris Lane.

Lane had been on paid administrative leave in recent weeks pending the outcome of an internal investigation for what was described by assistant chief of police Tim Williams as insubordination.

Prior to the public meeting, board members John Mull and Merlin Herbert, along with Rushville Mayor Merv Bostic, chief of police Ron Cameron, Williams and others involved in the investigation met in a closed session for nearly four hours.

According to Cameron, Lane was suspended without pay for a “few days” in September prior to being placed on paid administrative leave for nearly three weeks while the investigation was conducted.

Shortly after the public meeting began, Bostic asked the pleasure of the board regarding the matter.

“I move that as a result of our previous meeting we support and follow the recommendation of Chief of Police Ron Cameron and terminate the employment of Chris Lane,” Mull said.

The motion passed.

“This is one of the worst parts of the job, but it is also my responsibility to see that the police department operates in the fashion that the citizens expect. Chris Lane’s conduct was less than acceptable, in my estimation, and during the internal investigation he was less than truthful. As a result of that I recommended to the board of works that he be terminated,” Cameron said following the board’s decision.

Lane declined to comment on the matter as he left the meeting other than to say that in the coming days he and his attorney will look at available options and a possible appeal of Wednesday’s decision.

Frank Denzler can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 ext. 106 or via e-mail at frank.denzler@rushvillerepublican.com. To add a comment to this story visit our Web site at www.rushvillerepublican.com.