Longtime Republican Party leader Jean Northenor (center) addresses Warsaw City Council Thursday. Seated behind her (far left) is Police Chief Scott Whitaker. The two exchanged terse words during her address.

WARSAW — Ten days after city council laid to rest concerns over Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker’s handling of an impaired driver investigation on Jan. 25, the chief himself ripped the scab off Thursday night when he confronted Kosciusko County’s longtime Republican leader during a public meeting.

Gathering for the first time since council chose not to consider hiring an independent lawyer to look into circumstances surrounding the Jan. 25 incident, city council was on the verge of concluding their meeting Thursday, March 28, when former GOP Chair Jean Northenor asked for time to clarify her role in the saga.

Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker (left) challenged longtime Republican Party leader Jean Northenor Thursday night to identify the source of rumors surrounding the chief’s Jan 25 incident involving a motorist. Northenor declined to name anyone and told the chief to “back off.”

Northenor had sought to meet with Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer days after the incident as rumors swirled alleging Whitaker had acted inappropriately when he confronted a 74-year-old man and allegedly shoved him to the ground, believing the man had been driving erratically on CR 200S and was attempting to get back into a car.

Northenor’s role came up at council’s March 18 meeting when Councilman Jeff Grose alleged misgivings about the incident had turned political because Thallemer’s meeting with two councilmen over the issue included Northenor.

Northenor sought to clarify her role in the meeting, saying she considers Thallemer a friend and wanted to bring the issue to his attention.

She was beginning to explain that Thursday night when Whitaker, seated behind her in council chambers, began asking her to identify where the rumors had come from.

“I started hearing about the rumors about the chief on a Monday. I didn’t know if you did anything or not, but I knew it was going to affect the city of Warsaw. It was rumors everywhere,” she said, looking at Whitaker.

“You know that and I know that,” she told Whitaker.

“No I don’t, Jean,” Whitaker replied. “Who was the rumors from? Who did you hear it from?”

“No, no,” Northenor said.

“Who did you hear it from?” Whitaker asked again.

“I am not going to tell you where I heard it,” Northenor said.

And then, in one fell swoop, Whitaker laid bare the rivalry between the city police and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office that reached a crescendo a few years ago when Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine was charged with nearly a dozen felony crimes and eventually left office after being convicted of one felony for intimidation.

Testimony from city police in that investigation fueled many of the allegations Rovenstine faced.

“You’re here in public, who did you hear it from?” Whitaker said. “Aaron Rovenstine?”

“Aaron doesn’t even talk to me anymore because I’m a friend of Joe’s,” Northenor said, as a crowd of nearly 50 sat in stunned silence.

Northenor continued: “Don’t ask me anymore because I’m not going to tell you. I’ve worked in this town for 30 years and I’ve got people everywhere in this town who calls and talks to me about one thing or another and I did this as much for your protection as anybody, so back off!”

Whitaker also asked if Councilman Michael Klondaris alerted Northenor. Klondaris, who learned of the ordeal by an officer, said he did not tell Northenor about the rampant talk.

Klondaris and fellow councilman Jack Wilhite were drawn into the dispute after meeting with the elderly man and his wife. They taped their interview with them in which the man contends Whitaker shoved him to the ground. Days later, they took the audio interview to Thallemer in a meeting with Northenor.

Whitaker, in a police report, described his interaction with the man as “assisting” him to the ground. He later apologized for the confusing circumstances involving the incident but continued to contend he did not do anything wrong.

The couple did not file a complaint. Two officers who copied body camera video from the scene were eventually suspended without pay for two weeks.

Northenor then directed her ire at Councilman Grose and said she resented the suggestion that her interest was driven by politics. “You said I followed them for political reasons. That’s dead wrong. Dead wrong. It was my meeting. They came with me.”

She added, “My role in this, for everybody to understand, is because of my love of this city that I call home.”

Afterward, Northenor and Whitaker talked privately. Whitaker then left city hall and ignored an attempt by a reporter to seek comment.

In related matters, the meeting began by Council Member Cindy Dobbins asking that council minutes from the March 18 meeting be amended to reflect that she was not supporting an independent investigation. Dobbins did not attend the meeting, but a letter from her was read on her behalf by Councilman Ron Shoemaker that suggested she supported the use of outside legal representation. On Thursday, she said she was not specifically seeking an investigation.

In another related matter, the council approved a transfer of funds that will support the purchase of cell phones for police officers for work-related matters. A previous policy offered a stipend for officers to pay for their cell phone costs used while on duty. The vote was unanimous.

Shoemaker said he believes the cell phone policy should extend to all city employees.