TOLEDO -- An Ottawa Hills police officer was arraigned Wednesday on criminal charges after he shot and wounded a motorcyclist during a traffic stop May 23.
Thomas Caine White, who is a part-time dispatcher and part-time street cop, could face up to 11 years behind bars if convicted of shooting motorcyclist Michael McCloskey.
McCloskey, 25, of Maumee, was shot in the back and suffered severe injuries after he was stopped near Indian Road and Central Avenue by Officer White and another Ottawa Hills policeman.
White is accused of shooting the unarmed McCloskey without any justification. He was released Wednesday on his own recognizance and has been placed on administrative leave.
Meanwhile, Mike McCloskey is still recovering from his injuries. He is paralyzed from the waist down. He also suffered severe burns from the motorcycle which fell on top of him. A civil suit filed against the village of Ottawa Hills by McCloskey claims that he could lose his leg as a result of those burns which happened when officers refused to remove the bike from on top of him, telling his companion "He was your friend, you get the bike off of him."
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, is targeted at the village of Ottawa Hills, which has a history of having to pay out large cash settlements for people who have been injured or harassed by members of their police department.
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