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Breakey Asks Removal Of Police Chief - Grand Juror Also Names Gehringer - Sherman Mortenson And Detective Accused Of Neglect Of Duty

Breakey Asks Removal Of Police Chief - Grand Juror Also Names Gehringer - Sherman Mortenson And Detective Accused Of Neglect Of Duty image
Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
June
Year
1946
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Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

Breakey Asks Removal Of Police Chief

Grand Juror Also Names Gehringer

Sherman Mortenson And Detective Accused Of Neglect Of Duty

REMOVAL ASKED: Removal of Police Chief Sherman H. Mortenson (upper picture) and Detective Lt. Eugene Gehringer (lower) was requested today by Judge James R. Breakey, jr., Washtenaw county's one-man grand juror.

Removal of Police Chief Sherman H. Mortenson and Detective Lt. Eugene Gehringer was asked shortly after noon today by Judge James R. Breakey, jr., Washtenaw county's one man grand juror.

Judge Breakey told reporters at press conference called at 12:45 he had requested the board of poIice commissioners to take "all legal steps" to have both men removed from office.

He said he had filed a detailed report of grand jury findings with the commissioners, charging Mortenson and Gehringer with malfeasance, misfeasance, wilful neglect of duty, and other offenses.

Will Set Hearing

Members of the board, contacted immediately after the announcement, said they had no statement make at this time. They said they would set a date for hearing, at which time specific charges lodged against the officers would revealed.

Judge Breakey declined to reveal the specific acts for which removal is being asked. He said It was "up to the commissioners” to make them public."

Chief Mortenson, informed by reporters of the charges brought against him, said he had no comment to make "until I have conferred with the commissioners and find out what the score is."

Lt. Gehringer could not be located for comment.

Shortly before the judge issued his statement, two of the comissioners. Prof. Orlando W. Stephenson and Joseph C. Hooper, were seen to leave his office. They had apparently been conferring over the report.

Frisinger Out Of Town

The third commissioner, Herbert L. Frisinger, is believed to be out of town. Hooper said they would contact him as soon as possible so action might be started.

Judge Breakey said neither Gehringer nor Mortenson had been indicted by the grand jury. He declined to comment when asked If they would be.

He did reveal the grand jury Is rapidly drawing to a close, stating "at least three more indictments” would be issued before the jury’s work was completed.

The statute under which Judge Breakey acted provides his report shall be "sufficient complaint” to start removal proceedings. It does not make removal mandatory.

Became Chief In 1941

Mortenson became police chief July 5, 1941, succeeding Norman Cook. He had been on the force since 1923, working up through the ranks from a patrolman's status.

Forty-five years old, he was born on a farm near Pinckney and was educated in the Ann Arbor schools. He is married and has two children.

Gehringer first joined the force as a patrolman in 1927 and has been a detective for 12 years, heading the bureau since 1941.

He has been active in the Michigan State Troops, attaining the rank of major in charge of the second battalion, 34th infantry. He resigned that post March 5 because of pressure of other work.