A Lima police officer was taken in by the Allen County Sheriff's Office for what was believed as violation of a protection order.
Christopher Lemke was arrested for violating a protection order involving his estranged wife Latosha Lemke. She had made complaints to the sheriff's office that her husband made several phone calls and text messages to her.
Mr. Lemke filed the protection order against her instead, related to domestic violence charges, on Dec. 14. A provision in the order says the defendant cannot initiate any contact between the two of them. After the case was presented in municipal court it was determined the provision didn't apply to him and he was released from custody.
Media Release from the Allen County Sheriff's Office: On December 19, 2019 at approximately 12:38 a.m. deputies were dispatched to the Lima Police Department regarding a possible violation of a protection order complaint. On-duty supervisors at the Lima Police Department notified Sheriff's Office supervisors that Latosha Lemke, the estranged wife of Patrolman Christopher Lemke, contacted them and stated that there was an active Temporary Protection Order between she and Christopher, and that Christopher had called and texted her several times that day. Christopher was not on duty at the time of the attempted contacts, but was on duty when the complaint was called in.
Deputies spoke to Latosha who alleged Christopher called her cellphone multiple times from a restricted number and text her at least two times. She further stated that Christopher called her several times at her place of employment that same evening. Deputies were provided Verizon phone logs showing Latosha allegedly received five calls on her cellphone from Christopher on December 18, 2019 between 5:38 pm and 6:46 pm and two text messages from Christopher during that same time period.
The Temporary Protection Order is related to domestic violence charges Christopher filed on Latosha on 12-14-2019. The temporary protection order names Christopher as the Alleged Victim and Latosha as the Alleged Defendant. The protection order bars all contact between Christopher and Latosha and provision 5 of the order specifically states "Defendant shall not initiate or have any contact with the protected person....".
After reviewing the protection order and interviewing Christopher, deputies determined that Christopher should be arrested for violating the order by repeatedly attempting to contact Latosha. At approximately 2:08 am Christopher was taken into custody at the Lima Police Department and transported to the Allen County jail. He was booked in on one charge of violation of a protection order.
Later that morning the case was presented to Lima Municipal Court Prosecutor's Office who determined that Christopher was not subject to the provisions contained in the protection order, as he was the victim of the original complaint. The charge was dismissed and Christopher was released that morning.
