One week ago, I was physically assaulted in a public place, prior to a press event, by a high-ranking City of Columbus official. But, because I do not know the man’s date of birth, I was not allowed to file charges.

This happened on the morning of April 28, at the Columbus Police Training Academy, where I went to attend what I thought was a public event. 

Department of Neighborhoods Director Carla Scott Williams greeted me as I took a seat. Within a minute, a man wearing a blue sports jacket approached me and said, “Mr. Motil, could you please step outside for a moment.” 

I followed, and as we stepped outside the doors of conference Room 104 and he told me, “You are not allowed to be in there. This is a press event, and you do not have press credentials.”

I argued that I was in a public place for a public event. He disagreed, took me by the arm and pulled me farther away from the closed doors of the meeting room. An officer who arrived shortly afterward agreed with the man in the sport jacket that I was not permitted to re-enter. Asking the man twice to identify himself I was told, “Glenn McEntyre.”

The name rang a bell, so when I got back home I did a Google search and found him to be the city of Columbus Assistant Director of Public Safety/Public Information Officer. On Sunday, April 30, I tried to file a misdemeanor assault complaint against Mr. McEntyre. A police officer came to my home, took my information and left me with a report number (230313740).

Imagine my surprise when I went to the prosecutor’s office Thursday morning to formally file the charge.  A clerk told me that the officer who had taken my report, Keith G. Conner (Badge #1300), did not consider the incident to constitute an assault. Per city code, an “Assault” requires “knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm.” And, the clerk added, that I would also need my assailant, Mr. McEntyre’s date of birth, which I did not have.

No, this wasn’t a serious crime. But it was an assault, nonetheless, on a private citizen who was minding his own business at a City of Columbus event that should have been open to the public. And it could have happened to anyone.

Yesterday, I wrote to Public Safety Director Kate McSweeney-Pishotti and the Columbus Human Resources Department requesting them to investigate the actions of Mr. McEntyre (printed below). Citizens should feel safe to enter public buildings in our city without fear of being accosted by unidentified city officials.  

May 4, 2023

Dear Director Kate McSweeney‐Pishotti,

I am quite certain that you have been made aware that Assistant Public Safety Director Glenn McEntyre unlawfully grabbed my arm at the Columbus Police Training Academy on the morning of April 28, 2023. On Sunday morning April 30, 2023 I filed what I felt was a misdemeanor assault police complaint against Mr. McEntyre. Officer Keith G. Conner Badge #1300 came to my home and took my complaint (Report #230313740).

This morning, May 4th, I went to the City of Columbus Prosecutors office on the 7th floor at 375 South High Street to file misdemeanor assault charges against Mr. McEntyre. A woman by the name of Veronica came out to the lobby asked what my business was. I told her and I presented her with Officer Conner’s police card that had the report number written on it. She then looked up the report on her computer.

After reading the report on her computer, she came back out to the lobby and stated that because officer Conner claimed in his report that what took place was not considered an assault, and that Mr.McEntyre’s date of birth was not included on the report, I could not file charges or meet with an intake officer. I asked her politely if she could obtain Mr. McEntyre’s DOB since he was a city employee and she said “no”. I asked if I found out his date of birth if that would justify meeting with an intake officer and she said “no” again.

As a citzen of Columbus, I find it disturbing that an individual is permitted to unlawfully place their hands on someone else, especially a City of Columbus high ranking official, and only if that person is physically injured may they file criminal charges.

Due to the decision made this morning by an employee of the city of Columbus Prosecutors Office, disallowing me to file criminal charges against Mr. Glenn McEntyre, this letter represents a complaint against Mr. McEntyre as an employee of the City of Columbus. I feel that Mr. McEntyre violated the City of Columbus’s employee workplace conduct rules by unlawfully harassing, bullying and intimidating me in a public building and he violated other city of Columbus employee conduct rules that may apply.

I feel that there needs to be an investigation into this matter. He may pose a physical threat to the public and or as a liability to City of Columbus taxpayers. Mr. McEntyre needs to be properly disciplined for his actions. It is my understanding that there was one or more witnesses to what took place just outside of the doors of Conference Room 104 at the Columbus Police Training Academy on the morning of April 28th at approximately 11am. I have included my attached statement of the undisputed facts of what occurred on the morning of April 28, 2023, for your review. I look forward to hearing your response to my complaint and what action the city intends to take.

Sincerely,

Joe Motil