By Olivia Mitchell
cleveland.com
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — A North Royalton police officer has been fired and a sergeant demoted following an internal investigation into the improper handling of confidential department records tied to a 2025 traffic stop that led to a whistleblower complaint.
“The Department takes the protection of sensitive information seriously and is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and public trust,” the department posted on its’ social media page Wednesday. “An independent external investigation previously confirmed that no misconduct occurred by department leadership in connection with the underlying incident.”
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Patrolman Spencer Lowe was terminated, and Sgt. FloAnn Rybicki was reduced in rank to patrol officer, according to a police statement released to 3News.
The department said Lowe violated policy by obtaining and sharing confidential records outside authorized channels. Investigators determined that Rybicki improperly accessed department systems, printed confidential materials and provided them to Lowe without authorization. She was found to be in violation of department procedures and her supervisory responsibilities, police said.
The disciplinary action stems from notices issued March 16 by Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz , who recommended Lowe’s termination and Rybicki’s demotion. Rybicki’s discipline also includes a two-year ban on promotional eligibility.
“You improperly obtained and released unredacted NRPD records,” the mayor said in his disciplinary notice to Lowe. “You also failed to express your concerns up the chain of command and otherwise failed to report alleged misconduct of the NRPD command staff to your supervisor as required by policy.”
Antoskiewicz also accused Lowe of having launched his own “unauthorized investigation” and having “improperly obtained and disseminated confidential department records, first to me as mayor and then to your [ Fraternal Order of Police ] attorney.”
Both officers had been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The investigation traces back to an Oct. 11, 2025 traffic stop on Royalton Road , when Lowe pulled over Orange Village Deputy Chief Patrick O’Callahan for speeding and erratic driving.
O’Callahan showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, according to Lowe’s report. During the traffic stop, O’Callahan admitted he had been drinking earlier in the evening.
Lowe arrested him on suspicion of operating a vehicle while impaired. There were also three firearms in the vehicle. Lowe pursued OVI and traffic charges, along with a felony charge related to improper handling of a firearm.
Surveillance showed O’Callahan attempt to use his police badge to avoid being arrested.
Lowe alleged that Police Chief Keith Tarase directed a lieutenant to remove the felony charge from the department’s records system. Lowe reported the allegation to city officials and filed a whistleblower complaint with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
An independent investigation cleared Tarase and the lieutenant of wrongdoing, concluding they acted at the direction of the city prosecutor, who determined the felony charge was not supported.
O’Callahan retired from the Orange Village Police Department weeks after the stop. He later pleaded no contest to the OVI charge, was found guilty, and received a suspended jail sentence along with an order to complete an alcohol treatment program, records show.
No criminal charges were filed against Tarase or the lieutenant who removed O’Callahan’s felony charge from the system.
City officials have said Lowe was not disciplined for filing a whistleblower complaint. Instead, the investigation focused on how he accessed and distributed police records.
According to the city, Lowe asked Rybicki to retrieve documents he could not access. Investigators found Rybicki reviewed internal audit logs, took screenshots and printed multiple confidential documents, including case-related forms, before placing unredacted materials in Lowe’s department mailbox.
Lowe then improperly shared those unredacted records outside the department, including with his union attorney.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 15 argued that the city’s decision to terminate Lowe was a “brazen retaliation” for exposing alleged wrongdoing by department leadership.
The police union has indicated it plans to challenge the discipline through arbitration.
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