Crime & Safety

Former Officer Pleads Guilty After Firing Gun Off Duty

Scott F. Denniss pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of inducing panic, a first-degree misdemeanor, when he appeared before Judge Charles Brown in Stark County Common Pleas Court

A former lieutenant will spend the next two years on probation after in January.

Scott F. Denniss pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of inducing panic, a first-degree misdemeanor, when he appeared before Judge Charles Brown in Stark County Common Pleas Court, according to a news release from the North Canton Police Department. The judge had suspended a six-month jail term for two years' probation.

“I let the stress get to me. It was the worst day of my life ...,” Denniss said in the Canton Repository. “Unfortunately, it’s cost me a lot ... I’m looking forward to rebuilding my life.”

Find out what's happening in North Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Denniss originally was charged with felonious assault, a first-degree felony; domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor; and discharging firearms, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

According to a police report, Denniss, 46, had fired a 9 mm handgun into the ground outside his home in the 200 block of Weber Avenue. He was off duty at that time, just before 7 p.m. Jan. 29.

Find out what's happening in North Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When police arrived, he fired two more shots into the ground, according to the police report. The report listed Denniss' wife and a responding officer as victims.

 responded and took Denniss to Aultman Hospital for medical evaluation. He was hospitalized until Feb. 13, when he was arrested and taken to the Stark County Jail.

Denniss was placed on administrative leave after Jan. 29 and had submitted his resignation to the North Canton Police Department March 2 as the case was being investigated.

He also is required to surrender his Ohio police officer certification to the Ohio Police Officer Training Commission; cannot own, possess, discharge or have any contact with guns while on probation and seeks expungement of his case which would not be available until one year after his probation has been completed.

Denniss had been with the North Canton Police Department since he joined as an auxiliary officer in 1989. He joined the department full time in 1991 and was promoted to lieutenant in March 2000.

Police Chief Stephan Wilder said Wednesday the loss of Denniss as a lieutenant left the department with some staffing issues. The department is down five officers and now one supervisor. He said he hopes to add two or three full-time officers to the force this year.

He also plans to eliminate the lieutenant position and add one more sergeant position. That leaves the department with one lieutenant and five sergeants.

Those changes first must be approved by North Canton City Council.

"We've had to experience some unchartered waters this year, and I think we've pulled together as an organization," Wilder said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from North Canton