CLEVELAND — A Cleveland police officer was relieved from duty Tuesday following his indictment on multiple charges that include menacing by stalking, abduction and bribery.
William Tell, 49, is charged with menacing by stalking, a fourth-degree felony; intimidation of a crime victim or witness, a first-degree misdemeanor; abduction, a third-degree felony; bribery, a third-degree felony; unauthorized use of property/computer systems, a fifth-degree felony and falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor.
He has been suspended from duty pending the adjudication of his case in court, according to Cleveland police.
Tell is a patrol officer who has been with the department since August 1999. He was most recently assigned to the department's traffic bureau.
According to Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas records, on July 28, 2019, Tell allegedly told a man in the 1100 block of Prospect Avenue that he would conduct unlawful traffic stops on the man "any chance he got."
Hours later, Tell used his patrol car to initiate a traffic stop on the same man near East 17th Street and Payne Avenue by "shouting, using profane language and directing the victim to stop his vehicle." After the man pulled over, Tell allegedly approached him and continued to swear at him.
On July 31, 2019, the indictment states that Tell made the man fear for his safety after he was approached by the officer at the Office of Professional Standards "in an effort to dissuade the victim from making a formal complaint against the defendant."
The indictment further states that while the victim was at an official OPS proceeding, Tell allegedly offered the man "courtesy cards" in an effort to stop his testimony against the officer.
Tell is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 26 for an arraignment.
