Greenfield mayor requests Police Chief Jay Johnson's removal
GREENFIELD, Wis. - Greenfield Mayor Michael Neitzke filed paperwork seeking to have Police Chief Jay Johnson fired after a city investigation found "significant, highly concerning actions and patterns of behavior."
‘Statement of Charges’
What we know:
The Greenfield Common Council unanimously agreed to let Neitzke file a "Statement of Charges" against Johnson on Aug. 18, the city said in a statement Wednesday. The mayor filed that statement, which seeks Johnson's removal, with the Greenfield Police and Fire Commission on Aug. 28.
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Neitzke's statement said Johnson's removal as chief is necessary "for the good of the police service" and to "protect Greenfield residents, our Police Department and employees." He wrote the city's investigation found "significant, highly concerning" behavior, and the Statement of Charges includes "only a handful of those findings" because other charges are under criminal investigation.
Johnson, 59, has been on paid administrative leave since April 2025.
Records detail Greenfield police chief’s rise despite disciplinary history
New records show how Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson returned to the department and rose to chief despite a history of discipline before facing a misconduct charge.
What we don't know:
The Statement of Charges has not been made public, but FOX6 News requested those records Wednesday. FOX6 also reached out to the mayor, who is not doing interviews, and Johnson's attorney, who did not respond.
What's next:
The Greenfield Police and Fire Commission now has jurisdiction over any decision to terminate Johnson, and a public hearing before the commission is required before any action can be taken against the chief. An agenda shows the commission is set to review the mayor's Statement of Charges on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Criminal case
The backstory:
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office charged him months later, accusing him of directing department staff to install a department-owned-and-managed surveillance system – usually used in criminal investigations – at his home in Wind Lake. Prosecutors also said Johnson deleted data from his city-issued cellphone at around the time he met with city officials who offered him an off-ramp to retire, as a part of the investigation into his use of department equipment.
Prosecutors filed additional charges this February, accusing Johnson or some other actor of intentionally and remotely wiping his cellphone, which was confiscated from him during a November court appearance.
Court records show Johnson has pleaded not guilty to all charges filed against him.
What's next:
Johnson is scheduled to appear in court for an evidentiary hearing in November.
The Source: Information in this story is from the City of Greenfield, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court records.