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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us June 20, 2005 Grimaldi: Chief on paid leave City administrator confirms Bianca�s health explanation By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland Police Chief Mike Bianca will continue to be paid during his leave of absence, according City Administrator Gino Grimaldi. “It’s paid leave,” Grimaldi said this morning. “I want to emphasize that this is in no way related to disciplinary action or anything like that.” Bianca, 52, asked Grimaldi for leave on June 10 because of health reasons. Bianca has not disclosed the health issues and, by law, Grimaldi is not allowed to discuss information related to an employee’s medical problems. To Grimaldi’s knowledge, Bianca will continue to receive pay while on leave, regardless of when he returns to the force. The chief initially told Grimaldi he would be back at work on July 11. On Friday, Bianca said he would return to the force “when I get healthy” and did not speculate on a return date. APD Master Sgt. Teresa Selby is heading the department until Deputy Chief Rich Walsh returns from vacation June 27. Grimaldi stressed that there is no connection between Bianca’s absence and the completion of an investigation into the April 22 standoff between the APD and a mentally ill man. City Attorney Mike Frannell did an internal review of the incident, which has not been released to the public. “Traditionally what would happen is a department would do an investigation if something goes terribly wrong, like if someone was killed,” Grimaldi said, explaining the district attorney’s office would have reviewed the incident had the outcome been more serious. He and Frannell decided the city should still study the situation because the lives of two officers were threatened and the suspect had less-than-lethal and lethal weapons trained on him repeatedly in the 45-minute standoff. The investigation looked into operational issues, such as communication flow. “The reason for doing the investigation was not to look into disciplinary actions,” Grimaldi said. “I think everyone involved in that situation understood the gravity of the situation and really wanted to look at it more in-depth.” Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 3019 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams