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KINSMAN - Township trustees announced at their year-end meeting Thursday that fire Chief Cory VanKanegan has been placed on administrative leave.
In a posting on the township's social media site, a letter from township Trustees Greg Leonhard, Bruce Bancroft and Jamin Banning indicates the action taken was the result of a July 7 incident that occurred at the Dollar General Store.
VanKanegan was accused of assaulting a man, Jordan Aulizio, and forcing Narcan - an overdose reversal drug - on him. Aulizio filed a $4.5 million federal lawsuit against VanKanegan earlier this month.
Aulizio was indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury in August on two counts of assault, obstructing official business and resisting arrest. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
"Chief VanKanegan has been a valuable asset to the Kinsman community and for this we are asking for patience while this process plays out," the trustees state in their letter.
Officials said that in the interim, assistant Chief Chad Thompson will act as chief until members of the fire department select an interim chief to serve until the situation is resolved.