HA! Are you kidding me?! They need a new police station, yet they are crashing their cars?! How does a car accelerate rapidly without touching the gas pedal? Maybe they should think about some training to even be able to handle cars before trying for a tax increase for a new station and new technology. My guess is that the driver was texting...naturally he will probably keep his job and continue to lie about the incident because Kent Police think that they are above the law.

I'm glad the officer wasn't hurt or anyone standing near it.

It's like I've been saying: that is one TOUGH building... when we decide to rebuild, we must get the same architect and building contractors : )

If I were the suspicious type, I might have suggested that the officer hit the gas pedal
and was just playing "chicken" with his fellow workers. Some officers did say the tires were squealing. I'm ok with the officers explanation just as long as they will be ok with my explanation in the event that I hit something. Gas pedals DO occassionally hold themselves down.

I wonder if the leadership is thinking that if they have enough cars hit the station insurance will have to build a new building. This police department is a joke. The only crime that made the news over the weekend was a drunk homeless guy at the library

The office for musta been going pretty fast in a parking lot to do that much damage to a car.

I wonder if the officer got a ticket. If it had been you or I. It would have been a reckless op, failure to control, unsafe speed and squealing tires.

I find it odd that a building that is in such a bad shape ( they say), cook a big hit and totally annihilated a cruiser, only had a couple scrapes. I'm just saying.....

He won't get a ticket because the accident happened on private property but HIS insurance should have to pay for the damage. If I lived in Kent and it was my tax dollars paying to fix the car I'd flip out.

Melissa, the police station is on private property? It was a city vehicle, so it's the cities insurance not his. Can you have workers comp. Give that guy a drug test, I mean come on how do you hit a freaking building. The gas pedal does get stuck, especially when you have a Bigfoot on it and you're trying to show off in front of your friends.

How do I find out if this officer got a ticket or not. Due to the severity of this accident, and that happened on city property and city time. I just would like to see fair treatment weather it's a city employees or just people like us. What's fair is fair .

Matt Butcher is a solid policeman and I can see some sort of weird malfunction between transmission shifts resulting in unanticipated acceleration. Let's bear in mind that he maintained control and swerved to avoid the other officer. Also, police cruisers are heavily modified and that may have played a role in this accident.

Listen, if the "my car accelerated all by itself" excuse actually holds up in this case look out. Every person who gets a speeding ticket within Kent city limits is going to go to court and use the same excuse, and rightfully so.
Confederate Man, I may be mistaken but I believe it would be considered private property which means no ticket would be issued but that doesn't relieve the officer of responsibility. And I wonder if he was tested for DUI?

I want to know why the accident occurred on November 10th, and we taxpayers are not told about it until November 20th, HMMM? Sounds like lies and cover-ups; better have a full Watergate-style inquiry and full investigation! Good thing it didn't hit the $18 million dollar new building!

Nice ly put Melissa.

Roger, the cop may be a very nice guy. That's not the point. The point is you have an officer that has written many tickets for doing the same thing he did. But he gets off and we the people get to go to court. Accidents do happen but you have to admit that the first thing most people were thinking wth, moron. This does give the whole department a black eye. Its funny tho. Not sure I would think he was a hero.

Was he a Brady Lake Police Officer last year? I seem to remember a "malfunction" on Brady Lake Rd last year.

There is no crash report listed for this. You can see all the other accident reports but this 1. It is listed on the call log though. But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself. It's not adding up.

We have such a great fire department. Why can't we have a good police department

the crash number is 2012-000-17467. Good luck on finding tho. Ironically, I checked Butchers public record. There are no citations for him. He has written tickets 1,733 times thus far. The last 2 tickets were for failure to control. And what does the chief have to say...............

@ted: where are you getting your info?

I think Kent cops are good for the most part. One accident doesnt make Butcher a bad cop and one well done arrest does not make him a good cop either per R. Thurman's comment. He was probably goofing off and I am sure he will be reprimanded if that was the case. Of course, he cant admit it or he would lose his job. The gas pedal is a safe way out.

Google Portage County public record. Their whole database Is available online. The Kent pd call log is availableonline kentpd.org.
the fact that his last ticket he wrote whats to someone who failed remain to control of the vehicle. He doesnt same thing and walkS. Doesn't seem fair

The real issue I have is fair treatment for all. This guy wrote tickets for the exact same thing, and he walks. That's not very fair.
Besides, brimfield as well as all the other police departments don't have these kind of issues

Whats funny to me is that all you people do on here is complain about the Kent Police Department. How many of you live in Kent? How many of you try and be a good citizen and join in the community and get to know your Officers? Most of you on here complaining about Officer Butcher not getting a cite for this accident, obviously you have been on the wrong side and have gotten them yourselves. You throw insults at someone you don't know..."he must have been texting,...or "he was playing chicken with his friends". This is not a high school hangout. This is an Officer that comes into work and does his job, and is serious about protecting the lives of others. He is an Officer that has pledged to put his life on the line if needed for the citizens of Kent. All you want to do is throw him under the bus. Officer Butcher does his job to the fullest, I cant blame him for that. I am sure all of your records are squeaky clean eh?
Funny that you say the Fire Department is great, why isn't the Police Department? When there is a crime scene and an ambulance is required, who do you think has to go in first? The Police Department!!!! They save lives also.
One day you will need them, and you should hope that they chalk up your comments as uneducated, and do what they can to help you. (and I know they will) Teresa K, Ted Mosio, and "Mr. Confederate Man". lol

Well that was a mouthful of nonsense. I live in Kent. Never been in trouble but I have had some really bad experiences with the cops. We do not make the news up. We do not make the cops do this stupid stuff. All we do is point out the obvious. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE COPS HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR SOMETHING GOOD? exactly. All the kpd aren't bad, its the morons that make everyone look bad.
Tell me any bad news from any of our surrounding cities? EXACTLY. what fair is fair. This cop go off Scott free and the citizens got tickets for the same things.
Barbara, please get your facts straight. It makes you sound not too smart. Just saying.

I don't need the kpds help. I carry a pistol and can defend myself. Legally

I live in Kent. Barbara this whole article Was about this incident. Next time or something good In the news I'll keep my mouth shut.
The cops did this to themselves. Every black eye Is created by themselfs. Not buy any of us

A comment was removed for violating Patch's terms of use.

This article is in about me and what I've done wrong.

rachel marie:

Taxpayers pay employees of the city who CHOOSE to be police officers. Taxpayers have a vested interest in the car, the building, the officers, and any Surveillance Cameras in the police parking lot.

It is the police dept's JOB to come when called if they are not working elsewhere. If I call and die waiting for them, so be it. While you say one day We may need them, as taxpayers-they need US every day- especially pay day. Two way street.

Ted, you do realize your first and last name appear on each post. I would hate to see what would happen to you if pulled for speeding. I can just picture the headlines now, "local kentite jailed for speeding 2 miles an hour over the local posted speed"

Yea, I am going to need some devine intervention if I ever do anything wrong. I am sure cops are good people, its just that its not fair for the unfair treatment.

Funny how all these new user names keep popping up every few weeks as another name retires into oblivion and warning people the same paranoid thing about first and last names appearing and the ever-growing love affair with google stalking.

I am just going to have to write a letter to the chief instead of taking it on here. But not because of what misty has to say.

to some who say .. accelerated by itself? .. yes it can happen. it is caused by a fault in the cruise control..which is vacuum advanced or electronically controlled as for instance the 2002 chevy silverado has had similar issues as to accelerating in drive without the driver pressing on the gas pedal and when putting into park the vehicles engine had revved up to almost 5000 rpm.. not trying to clear anyone but it can happen..