Police Chief Lies about Criminal Past

Fired by the Lewisville, Minnesota City Council last Wednesday, former police chief Dave Kleinschmidt had a criminal past and lied about his previous employment.

He lied to investigators about a car crash 2000 when he was a private citizen - that an unknown person had hit his car and fled, however, the person was a friend of Kleinschmidt's.

He was convicted of falsifying a police report - a conviction that was later overlooked when he was hired in February 2008. He was named police chief a year later. City officials don't agree on whether he passed a background check, the standard for all city employees. They cannot determine if council members were aware of his conviction before they hired him.

"The council has found that Mr. Kleinschmidt was not truthful, honest and candid with the council," the board wrote in a resolution to fire the chief.

City officials are considering disbanding the troubled Lewisville police department.