The North Royalton Police Department has fired an officer who filed a whistleblower complaint and demoted another officer for the improper copying and dissemination of confidential records following an October 2025 traffic stop in which Orange Village's deputy chief was arrested for OVI.
According to a news release from North Royalton Police, Officer Spencer Lowe has been terminated, and Sergeant FloAnn Rybicki has been demoted from the rank of sergeant.
North Royalton Police stated in the news release that Lowe was let go for "improperly obtained and disseminated confidential departmental documents outside authorized departmental channels."
Rybicki was said to have "accessed departmental systems, printed confidential records, and provided those materials to Patrolman Lowe without authorization and outside established procedures."
Deputy chief arrested
The traffic stop, which involved now-retired Orange Village Deputy Chief Patrick O'Callahan, happened on Oct. 11, 2025. Lowe pulled O'Callahan over for driving 55 mph in a 35 mph zone and repeatedly swerving out of his lane.
O'Callahan was charged with OVI, speeding, and not driving on the right side of the road. During the encounter, Lowe seized several guns from the deputy chief's car.
Lowe later claimed his supervisors removed a felony firearm charge without his knowledge or permission from the arrest report.
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O'Callahan was placed on leave and then retired from the Orange Village Police Department a few weeks after his arrest. He was later convicted of OVI.
North Royalton Police conducted an internal affairs investigation into the matter, and last month, Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz signed a notice of disciplinary action proposing Lowe's termination.
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The investigation and whistleblower complaint
Through his attorney, Lowe said he filed a police report that included charges of OVI, a traffic violation, and a felony charge for improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Lowe alleged Police Chief Keith Tarase told Lt. Jim Cutler to delete the felony charge.
Lowe's attorney then filed a whistleblower complaint with Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley and the mayor.
The mayor hired an attorney to conduct an independent investigation. Attorney James Hofelich cleared Tarase and Cutler of wrongdoing after they removed the felony charge.
An internal affairs investigation found Lowe, with assistance from Rybicki, "removed department records without authorization."
In the news release sent Wednesday, the department stated that "the underlying allegations made against department leadership regarding the original arrest were previously investigated by an independent outside investigator and no misconduct by department leadership was found."
