TOLEDO — During Monday night’s regular biweekly meeting, the Toledo City Council accepted the resignation of Police Sgt. Kyle Howe effective immediately after an investigation into his handling of a traffic stop on March 30.

Howe, who previously served with the State Center Police Department before joining the Toledo PD, faced allegations of misleading fellow officers about the events that unfolded when he pulled over 31-year-old Shyla Wolf just west of town. Body camera footage showed that once he stopped her on suspicion of driving while barred, Howe physically restrained and threatened to tase Wolf after she asked him “Why do you harass me?” while her three children watched from the vehicle.

The City of Toledo contracted Workforce Solutions, a company owned by State Center Police Chief Jon Thomas, to conduct an investigation into the matter, and a preliminary report was prepared by Monday at noon. According to a press release issued by City Attorney Michael Marquess, the investigation also centered around body camera footage of four other arrests Howe had made since 2022.

Thomas concluded that Howe’s actions “do not reach the legal burden for excessive force,” and in the release, Marquess said the city takes no position on the legal question.

“However, the city has reviewed the videos from the perspective of the public trust and is shocked and dismayed by Mr. Howe’s abhorrent behavior in what we believe to be several instances of unnecessary force,” the release reads. “His actions and language in these instances do not reflect the values and integrity of the rest of the Toledo Police Department. The City condemns Mr. Howe’s behavior in the strongest possible way and has severed all ties with him.”