Why were Portage police officers arrested? Incident explored as staff members fired from the department

On Sunday, September 10, three Portage police officers were arrested for allegedly threatening to set fire to someone's house. According to news reports, on Saturday, September 9, the officers were supposedly targeting the home of a minor who had filed a restraining order against them, accusing them of abusing their power. The former police officers were identified as Probationary Officers Craig Crary and Benjamin Oetzman, as well as Administrative Assistant Casey Crary. WKOW noted that Craig and Casey Crary are a married couple.

After hearing that the three suspects were arrested on the charges, the Portage police department fired them almost immediately. According to Madison News, the investigation into the allegations were carried out by an independent committee. The case against the former officers is currently ongoing.

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The timeline of the accusations against the Portage police officers

In August, Craig and Casey Crary were accused of abusing their power to harass a minor. In response, a lawsuit was filed against the couple, alleging that they had subjected the alleged victim to threats. On Saturday, Craig and Casey Crary were supposedly caught having a conversation about the case with Benjamin Oetzman. In the discussion, they reportedly talked about burning down the minor's house.

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As stated by Portage police chief Keith Klafke, the discussion between the officers was posted on social media, leading to an independent probe within the department. Klafke added that while he addresed the issue, he did not know the details of the initial restraining order.

Klafke said:

"The limited information I had was that a social media post was created and sent out on a public platform which portrayed inappropriate and potentially threatening comments made by the two officers referencing the petitioner on the temporary restraining order."

Klafke continued:

"This video was ultimately shared with the petitioner. Based on this preliminary information I immediately placed all three members on administrative leave pending a thorough investigation."

Klafke said that in the wake of the arrests, he was disappointed by the way the former officers had tarnished the reputation of the Portage police department. He added that while all the employees were valued members of the force, their behavior had violated several policies. In response, Craig and Casey Crary were arrested for the violation of a temporary restraining order. Benjamin Oetzman, on the other hand, was arrested for one count of disorderly conduct.

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As per Madison News, Klafke said that the firing of the three officers was particularly difficult for the force at this time. In recent years, the police department has faced challenges due to being understaffed. By the time the controversy emerged, they had been fully staffed after a long period of time.