Greenfield Mayor Moves To Oust Police Chief After City Probe

Matty Ring (CC-BY)

Greenfield’s mayor is seeking the removal of the city’s police chief, who is facing criminal charges.

Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson has been charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor after he allegedly used his department’s surveillance camera to watch his own home during his divorce. Johnson has been on paid administrative leave since April 2025.

A Wednesday statement from City of Greenfield Mayor Michael Neitzke said he had filed a “statement of charges” against Johnson to the city’s Police and Fire Commission. Neitzke’s statement said the city investigation into Johnson, “revealed significant, highly concerning actions and patterns of behavior that we believe warranted this filing.”

Neitzke, who wasn’t available for an interview, wrote that his statement of charges “presents only a handful of those findings, as other charges are under criminal investigation outside of the City process.”

Greenfield’s Police and Fire Commission met in closed session for nearly two hours Thursday night to review the charges. After the commission came out of closed session, they approved a motion to reach out to the parties involved to set a date for a scheduling conference.

In a statement after the meeting, Neitzke said the commission had accepted the charges he filed.

“This is a critical step in determining whether the City’s investigation findings are sufficient to justify discipline and, if so, what discipline is appropriate,” Neitzke wrote.

Johnson’s criminal case is ongoing

Johnson was charged last year with felony misconduct. A criminal complaint said he allegedly directed a captain in his police department to put a department-owned surveillance camera outside of his home in Wind Lake despite being told by city officials that he should not. The complaint alleges he did so because he was “in fear for his safety” during a divorce.

Prosecutors say the camera was placed across the street from Johnson’s driveway on Dec. 26, 2024. The complaint says Johnson violated the department’s standards of conduct by using the camera for his personal gain to “advance his divorce.”

Prosecutors later added three felonies to his original felony charge, as well as a misdemeanor — obstructing an officer. He was charged with felony bail jumping, as well as two other felonies for allegedly destroying data and evidence, which prosecutors said impaired the investigation.

A second amended criminal complaint said Johnson had “directed a third party to contact individuals in violation of his bail conditions.” That complaint said that he had destroyed personal file records and remotely ‘wiped’ his city phone and did a factory reset on a second phone that was seized pursuant to a warrant.

Johnson’s criminal case is ongoing. An evidentiary hearing is set for Nov. 9, according to online court records.

Johnson, 59, has been with the department since 1992, serving as an officer, lieutenant and captain. He was appointed police chief by the Police and Fire Commission in 2019.

Eric Lindstrom is currently the city’s acting police chief. He was appointed to that position when Johnson was placed on administrative leave last year.

Common Council authorized Neitzke to file statement of charges

On Aug. 18, the city’s common council authorized Neitzke to file a statement of charges against Johnson, according to Neitzke’s statement.

The statement was shared with Johnson’s legal counsel before being filed with the Police and Fire Commission on Aug. 28.

Neitzke said the process to terminate Johnson is, “fully under the jurisdiction of the City’s Police and Fire Commission.”

“Outside law enforcement authorities must prove the criminal allegations against Chief Johnson beyond a reasonable doubt, whereas the Mayor has a much lower evidentiary burden,” the statement said.

Under state law, a local police and fire commission board appoints the chief of police.

“Chief Johnson is entitled to due process by rebutting the City’s investigation findings at his Police and Fire Commission hearing,” Neitzke’s statement said. “As required by Wisconsin law, the Commission will render the final decision whether the City’s investigation findings are sufficient to justify discipline and, if so, what penalty is appropriate to protect our community, our Police Department, and our employees.”

An attorney for Johnson was unable to be reached before this story was published Friday.

Wisconsin mayor seeks removal of police chief after city investigation found ‘highly concerning actions’ was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.